^y on the Hortiis Malabaricus, Part II. 251 



from Jacquin, which I presume is also a mere variety. As, 

 however, Willdenow saw all the five plants living, I beg to be 

 understood as speaking with all due deference to the opinion of 

 a very excellent botanist. All that I can say is, that I have seen 

 four kinds of the Ricinus very commonly cultivated in India, 

 and I think that there is nothing said by Willdenow to enable 

 one to distinguish his plants from those I have seen. It is very 

 possible, however, that this botanist may really have seen four 

 different species, although from not having had an opportunity 

 of seeing the R. communis in all its stages and varieties, he may 

 not have selected the characteristic distinctions with sufficient 

 accuracy. This I the more readily believe, because in the 

 Hortm Kewensis (v. 331.) four of Willdenow's plants are men- 

 tioned as distinct species, without quoting either Rheede or 

 Rumphius. Yet M. Poiret, in the Supplement to the Encyclo- 

 pSdie, seems to adhere to his former opinion, and does not 

 think any alteration necessary ; and Dr. Roxburgh considered 

 that he had seen only one species in India (Hort. Beng. 69.). 



I shall now mention the four varieties commonly cultivated in 

 Bengal, and must observe, that two of them are evidently in- 

 cluded by Rheede under the Cit Avanacu, " cujus duaj species 

 sunt, una cortice viridi-communi, altera rubro." Both these are 

 almost always cultivated for the seed, and are therefore sown 

 close, so as to stint their growth, and thus bring them early to 

 flower ; and, when they have ripened their seed, they are de- 

 stroyed by the plough, a new sowing being more productive 

 than if they were allowed to grow for several years : for, as 

 Rheede observes, they will grow to be shrubs seven or eight feet 

 high. Both are indiscriminately called by the natives Arinda, 

 and often grow in the same field. 



VOL. XIV. 2 L 1. R. caule 



