on the Hortus Malabaricus, Part III. 83 
sylvestris Malabarica, folio acuto, fructu Pruni facie. The spe- 
cific name Katou implies sylvestris; and Indel is evidently the 
same name with Indi, which, according to Plukenet (Alm. 277.), 
the natives of Ceylon give to the Date-palm. Palma sylvestris 
is therefore a translation of Katou Indel. The Phenix dactyli- 
fera, which was the Palma first known to the learned of Europe, 
according to Plukenet is distinguished by the Ceylonese specific 
name Maha (great) prefixed to Indi; while he mentions another 
kind, called by the Ceylonese Hin Indi, which he describes as 
Palma dactylifera minor humilis, sylvestris, fructu minore. (Alm. 
277.) This he considers as different from the Katou Indel ; but 
the elder Burman (Thes. Zeyl. 183.) considered them as the same. 
I should have no doubt that Burman was in the right, were there 
not another species of thesa me genus (Phænix farinifera, Hort. 
Beng. 73.) to which the term humilis is more applicable ; for the 
Katou Indel is fully as large as the Phenix dactylifera. Neither 
Plukenet nor Burman, however, says any thing specific concern- 
ing the size of the Hin Indi; only the term humilis applied to it, 
is used also by Plukenet for the dwarf Palm of Spain (Chame- 
rops humilis), which is of a similar size with the Phenia farinifera, 
and does not approach near in magnitude to the Katou Indel. 
I therefore refer the Hin Indi to the Phenia farinifera, which is 
a very common plant on all the hilly country between the Ganges 
and Cape Comorin. I have, however, great doubts of the Maha 
Indi of Ceylon being the proper Date of Arabia, or of its being 
different from the Katou Indel, which I know is very common in 
Ceylon; but I never heard of proper Dates being produced 
either there or in any part of India. It is true that in the 
gardens of the curious I have seen a few trees imported from 
Arabia; but I never saw these produce fruit. It is also true 
that I consider the Katou Indel as merely the wild plant of the 
same species with that which is cultivated in Arabia and Africa : 
M 2 but 
