142 Dr. Francis HaurLTON's Commentary 
their laws. This generic term is therefore applied to some spe- 
cies that do not send roots from their branches; but perhaps 
such are never called Vata or Vatti or Batti without the term 
Cara prefixed. 
Perim TEREGAM, p.81. 7.61. 
'This is another tree, which the Brahmans called Carabatti, 
using the compound word for the generic term, and prefixing 
the specific name Meri, which would seem to countenance the 
idea above mentioned. No notice was taken of the Perim Te- 
regam by any subsequent author, except the compiler Ray, 
until M. Lamarck quoted it, with doubt however, for his Ficus 
symphytifolia (Enc. Meth. ii. 498.). On the contrary, Willdenow 
(Sp. Pl. iv. 1151.) quotes it, but with doubt. also, for the Ficus 
oppositifolia, to which indeed it has a considerable affinity ; but 
there is nothing in either the figure or description to induce us 
to think that its leaves are opposite. In this point, however, - 
Rheede and his.painters were often negligent; and I must con- 
fess that I at one time thought with Willdenow, that the Perim 
Teregam was a variety of the Ficus oppositifolia, of which I gave 
specimens (Cat. No. 2424) to the library at the India House : 
but on more mature deliberation, I think, that these specimens 
can scarcely be the Perim Teregam, which has the edges of its - 
leaves quite entire, while in my plant they are indented. On 
the whole I doubt much of the Perim Teregam having been 
noticed by modern botanists. | 
VALLI TEREGAM, p. 83. t. 62. 
Here is a third species, which the Brahmans of Malabar call 
Caravatti ; but it is distinguished by having annexed the specific 
name Valli (scandens), which, contrary to the usual custom, is 
placed after instead of before the generic name. ES 
Plukenet very strangely imagined that this was the same with 
his 
