196 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



Linnaeus in the Flora Ztylanica (367-)) joining the Scherunam 

 Cottam with a plant of Ray, with one of Hermann mentioned 

 also by Burman {Thes. Zeyl. 29.), and withthe plant of Bontius 

 quoted by Plukenet, without however mentioning the latter, — 

 calls it Clutia foUis ovalibvs petiolatis retusis, Jtoribus racemosis 

 sessilibus. Now the plant of Rheede has four seeds in a subacid 

 berry, which seems also to be the case with that of Ray {fructu 

 tetraspermo) ; while the plant of Linnaeus, if it be a Clutia, has 

 a capsule with three cells. Linnaeus indeed acknowledges that 

 the figure in the Hort. Mai. represents his plant badly ; so that 

 even he was not satisfied with his quotation, probably on account 

 of the description of the fruit by Rheede. To the Scherunam 

 Cottam probably, therefore, we may leave the synonyma of Ray 

 and Bontius ; while HeiTnann, and also Burman, who does not 

 quote the Hort. Mai., probably described the Clutia of Linnaeus. 



The younger Burman {Fl. Ind. 217.) makes no change on the 

 synonyma; but follows the Species Plantarum in calling the 

 plant of the Flora Zeylanica, Clutia retusa, and quotes the Hoi^- 

 tus Malabaricus without doubt. 



M. Lamarck however {Enc. Metli. ii. 54.) received plant* 

 from M. Sonnerat, and had seen others in the collection of 

 Commerson, which he considered as well represented by the 

 figure of Rheede ; and he quotes also the synonyma of Ray and 

 Bontius ; but doubts of his plant, which he calls Clutia squamosa, 

 being the Clutia retusa of Linnaeus. At any rate, this Clutia 

 certainly is not the Scherunam Cottam, as it produces " capsules 

 ovoides, globuleuses, lisses, a trois ou quatre loges monospermes ;" 

 while the fruit of the Scherunam Cottam, as Linnaeus justly ob- 

 served, is a berry : " Fructus qui surculis insident parvi et 

 rotundi sunt ad instar pirorum lauri superficie glabri, primum 

 virides ac nitentes, dein colore nigro dum maturi sunt et sapo- 

 ris subacidi, continentque quatuor grana seminis alba ac trans- 



parentia 



