172 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



affinis arbor conifera. He seems however soon afterwards io 

 have become sensible, that this classing it with the Palms was 

 erroneous; and, instead of imitating Rheede, returned {Amalth. 

 13.) to the old name of J. Bauhin, Ananas sylvestris, folio aloes, 

 fructu cupressino. 



Rumphius {Herb. Amb. iv. 13.) clearly perceived, that such 

 rude attempts at classification were not tenable ; and, while he 

 rejected the Kaida as of doubtful origin, he adopted Pandanus 

 from the Malay language, and described at least twelve species 

 of this genus, besides adding to it some plants that must be re- 

 ferred to another quarter. 



The elder Burman, notwithstanding he had before his eyes 

 the works of Rheede and Rumphius, contrived {Thes. Zeyl. 20.) 

 to confound this genus with the Ananas, and refers to the de- 

 scription of the Bromelia by Linnaeus for an excellent account 

 of its generic characters ! This indeed may be considered as the 

 most unfortunate classification ever adopted by this great bota- 

 nist; for in the Flora Zeylanica {p. 131.) he implicitly followed 

 the elder Burman, as the younger Burman again followed him 

 {Fl. Ind. 79- )• This genus of plants continued thus unnaturally 

 connected, until Forskahl, meeting probably with the species 

 which Plukenet had received through A. Brown from Arabia, 

 gave its proper generic characters under the name Keura. 

 Shortly afterwards Forster gave this genus the name Athrodac- 

 tylis ; and the younger Linnaeus, convinced of his father's error, 

 with great propriety restored the name Pandanus given by Rum- 

 phius, and now generally followed. 



'Although all botanists now clearly perceived that this was a 

 distinct genus, yet Jussieu, when he published his Genera Plan- 

 tar urn, was at a loss in what natural order it should be placed ; 

 and, like Plukenet in his first conjecture, considered it as having 

 an aflftnity to the Palma. M. du Petit-Thouars, who has added 



largely 



