on the Hortus Malabaricus, Part III. 199 
Malabar, I suspect should have been written Naga Champo, the 
latter word being the same with the Tsjampakam of the vulgar 
dialect, while the specific term Naga implies that the tree is con- 
nected with the divine serpent, although it must be confessed, as 
we shall see, that another derivation is given. 
Plukenet (Alm. 90.), adhering to the opinion of Commeline, 
called this tree Castanea rosea Indica. Linneeus (Fl. Zeyl. 203.) 
quoted it for the second variety of his Mesua foliis lanceolatis, his 
first variety being the Arbor Naghas sive ferrea of Burman (Thes. 
Zeyl.25.). This author says, that in the Ceylonese dialect Naghas 
or Naghaha implies Arbor ferrea. Ghas or Ghaha no doubt 
signifies a tree or plant; but Na is quite different from any 
Indian name of iron that I know of; and I suspect that the name 
should have been written Nag’ Ghas or Nag’ Ghaha, the serpent’s ` 
tree. lobserve nothing in the account of Burman that should 
lead to a suspicion of his plant being in any respect different 
from that of Rheede. Willdenow has however joined it with 
the Nagassarium of Rumphius (Herb. Amb. vii. 3. t. 2.), which, 
if not a different species, is at least a very remarkable variety ; 
as it is a small tree (truncus non ultra sex pedes extensus), with 
leaves less than those of the Willow, and like those of the Olive ; 
nor has its fruit the four remarkable ribs so conspicuous on 
that of the Belutta Tsjampakam. So great indeed is the diffe- 
rence between the two plants, that the younger Burman consi- 
dered them as belonging to two distinct genera (F1. Ind. 121.), 
the plant of Rumphius being his Calophyllum Nagassarium, and 
that of Rheede his Mesua ferrea, as itis that of Linnæus. This 
supposition.of the two plants belonging to different genera I 
have no doubt is an error; and the plant of Rumphius, which is 
pretty common in the North-east of Bengal and in Ava, is no 
doubt a Mesua, but I am inclined to think of a different species 
from the tree described by Rheede, which however I have not 
VOL: XV. S seen. 
