on the Hortus Malabaricus, Part II. ^^ 299 



n^' 



Carambu, p. 95. Jig. 49. 



Commeline gratuitously annexes the word Maram, or tree, to 

 the generic word Carambu, which is a herb from 1^ to 2 feet 

 high ; and is no where mentioned by Rheede as being applied 

 to the Carambu. On the strength of this word, however, joined 

 to the plant having a fruit shaped externally like a clove, he 

 considers it as a species of Caryophyllus or Clove-tree ; for his 

 words will not admit of our supposing that he meant the herba- 

 ceous Caryophyllus, which would have been a rather more for- 

 tunate conjecture. 



Plukenet, adhering still somewhat to the resemblance to the 

 clove, which is indeed striking, but seeing the absurdity of com- 

 paring a low, insipid, annual plant with an aromatic tree, calls 

 it after Hermann, Lysimachia indica non papposa, flore luteo mi- 

 nimo, siliquis Caryophyllum aromaticum (Bmulantibus {Aim. 235.). 



I think it probable, although he no where quotes the Carambu, 

 that the elder Burman mentioned it by the name of Lysimachia 

 indica, aquatica, glabra, Jiore jiavo, siliqua angulosa, stellata (Thes. 

 Zeyl. 146.), which is mentioned by Linnaeus (F/. Zeyl. 498.) by 

 the name of Dyanilla. 



Linnaeus in the Flora Zeylanica {Q6.) quotes the Carambu for 

 his Ludwigia ; and, from the description which he gives, he no 

 doubt saw the plant of Rheede : but then he considers the Dya- 

 nilla as different, and says that his Ludwigia is the Kikirinda of 

 the Ceylonese, which Burman called Lysimachice species fructu 

 caryophylloideo {Thes. Zeyl. 146.), and considered as the Nir 

 Carambu of the Hortus Malabaricus, which is a Jussieua ; and 

 all the other synonyma quoted by Burman, right or wrong, point 

 to the latter genus. Whether or not any transfer of names in 

 Hermann's collection had taken place in the interval between 

 Burman's inspection and that of I-innaeus, I cannot say ; but it 



VOL. XIV. 2 E is 



