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XVIII. Note on Samara laeta, Linn. By G. A. Walker-Arnott, Esq., LL.D., 

 F.L.S. 8^c., Reg, Prof, of Botany in the University of Glasgow. 



Read March 16th, 1-847. 



Jr ERHAPS few plants described by Linnaeus froms pecimens actually in his 

 herbarium have remained so long doubtful as the one on which I am about 

 to make the following observations. 



The genus Samara was instituted in 1771 by Linnaeus in the ' Mantissa 

 Plantarum': and he unfortunately associated with it, as a synonym to his 

 only species (the aS". laeta), the No. 469 of the 'Flora Zeylanica,' of which no 

 specimen existed in Hermann's herbarium, but which was referred to the 

 Cornus Zeylanica sylvestris altera of Burmann's ' Thesaurus Zeylanicus,' 

 tab. 31. It is not easy to explain what could have induced Linnaeus to 

 quote this figure, as it bears no resemblance to the plant he himself pos- 

 sessed. Some foreign botanists, deceived by this reference to Burmann, 

 appear to have supposed that Linnaeus had no specimen of what he described, 

 and that Burmann's figure must be held conclusive on the point. Accord- 

 ingly we find M. de Jussieu in his ' Genera Plantarum,' p. 379, placing the 

 genus ajnong his Rkamni, quoting the Linnean generic character and descrip- 

 tion, but pointing out a discrepancy between the position of the leaves as 

 indicated by Linnaeus, and that of those figured by Burmann. 



To the synonym of Burmann, Poiret in the ' Encyclopedic Methodique,' vi. 

 p. 485, adds that of Samara Iceta of Swartz's ' Prodromus,' p. 151 ; and he 

 gives a detailed description, partly derived from the Linnean description, 

 partly from Burmann's. DeCandoUe in the second volume of the ' Prodro- 

 mus,' while describing the genera and species of Rhamnece, omits Samara, 

 and does not even allude to it among the genera formerly referred to the 

 order. In the 'Linnean Transactions,' xvii. p. 137, however, his son says, 

 "Samara, Linn, non Sw., Cornus Zeylanica, Burm. ! Zeyl. tab. 76, ad Rhamneas 



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