NEW GENERA OF SCREW-PTNES. 259 



ficatioiij and by the uniform spiral arrangement of leaves round the stem ; 

 so that the stem, where the scars of detached leaves are visible, resem^ 

 bles a screw, or cork-screw. They are met with chiefly on islands, and 

 are particularly numerous in the Isle of France and Madagascar, where 

 the Pandani are also found. The East Indian Archipelago is rich in 

 these plants, as well as most of the tropical islands of the Old World. 



It may cause astonishment that so characteristic a group of plants 

 remained so long unknown, notwithstanding that the first botanists 

 have occupied themselves with the research. Of the three genera classed 

 by Lindley among the true Pandani^ scarcely one is known, and that 

 not in all particulars; I mean, the species of Preycinetia (Gaud.), 

 Marquartia (Hasskarl) I have found mentioned, but not fully described. 

 The numerous species of the genus Pandanus may be considered as 

 sufficiently unknown. 



The following historical researches will, I think, prove this : — In the 

 second volume of the ' Hortus Malabaricus,' from plate i. to viii., and 

 pp. 1 to 7, we find a number of Pandani drawn and described, of w^hich 

 we may take it for certain, that the greatest part are unknown, and are 

 not to be referred to those forms with which we have more recently 

 become acquainted. This the botanists have however attempted, with, 

 in my opinion, but very moderate success. 



^Kaida (Rheede, i.-v.) must be Pandanus odoratissimus ^ L. fil- Kaida 

 Tsjerria (R. viii.) is referred to Pandanus furcatus, by Eoxb., Flor. 

 Ind, iii. 744. I hold this last for a veiy good conjecture. 



With respect to Bumph's 'Herbarium A.mboinense,* we are not 

 much the wiser. He enumerates the following sorts, to which we assign 

 the names given by later authors, below. 

 1- Pandanus verus, t. 74. (P. odoratlssimus, L. Suppl. 424, Willd. 

 Sp. iv. 645. (excl. Jacq. Fr. et /3.) Eoxb. Fl. Ind. iii.) 



2. P. spuriiiSy t. 75. 



3. P. humilisy t. 76. (Lour. Coch. 740. Jacq. Fragm. xxi. t. 14. 

 f. 2. WiUd. Ep. iv, 645.) (ex Kth.) 



4. P. silvesiris, t. 77. 



5. P, latifoUuSy t. 78, 



6. P. moschatus, vel l<svis. (P. l^evis, Lour. Coch. 741 ? ^^iJld. Sp. 



iv. 646.) 



7. P. ceramic f/s J t. 179. 



8. Folium Baggea verum, t. 179* 



