76 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [ Polygalee. 
and at Goalpara ; Xanthophyllum is a new genus, consisting of large timber trees, 
figured in Dr. Roxburgh’s Coromandel Plants, t. 284, and found in the forests of Silhet 
and hilly parts of Chittagong. 
Many of this family are known to possess considerable bitterness, with some astrin- 
gency. Soulamea amara, esteemed in the Moluccas and Java as a medicine, was, on 
account of its bitterness, called by Rumphius, ‘‘ Rex amaroris.” Polygala Senega, now 
employed as a stimulant diuretic, was first troduced into European practice in conse- 
quence of information that it was employed by the natives of South America asa cure . 
against the bites of venomous reptiles, It is remarkable that a species of the same 
genus is employed in the Himalayas for the same purpose. This plant (P. crotalarioides) 
was first sent me by Major Colvin, of the Bengal engineers, with a note informing me 
that the root was employed by the people of the Hills as a cure against the bites of 
snakes, A remarkable instance of the same properties being ascribed to plants of the 
same genus in such widely distant parts of the world, and a striking illustration of the 
utility which may attend investigations into the medical properties of plants connected by 
botanical analogies. Krameria triandra, referred with doubt to this order, is well 
known, as its roots, which are extremely bitter and astringent, form the Ratanhia of 
the shops. 
P. elegans (Wall) foliis lanceolatis lucidis marginibus reflexis, caule suffruticoso erecto, racemis 
foliosis elongatis paucifloris demum ebracteatis, carinis cristatis, alis ovato-oblongis capsulis alatis 
duplo-longioribus, ovario subsessili. Wall. Cat. 4186.—Hab. This very elegant plant, procured by 
Dr. Wallich from Nepal, I found in flower in the month of June on the mountains which separate the 
Pabur and Tonse rivers. It has been figured in Plate 19, fig. A., under the name P. myrsinites, 
assigned to it in my MS. Catalogue; and it was not until all the plates had been struck off, that I 
discovered that this, as well as the following plant, already existed in the East-India Herbarium, 
under the names by which they are here described. rab. 19, fig. A.—1. Crested corolla and stamens.— 
2. Wings or two interior sepals.— 3. Pistil and three exterior sepals, —4. Capsule cut transversely.— 
5. The same cut vertically, showing a single pendulous seed in each cell, and that the capsule is winged 
and emarginate at the apex.—6. The seed hairy, with the trifid caruncula surmounting the hilum.—7. 
Seed cut transversely.— 8. The embryo. = . 
P. glaucescens (Wall) foliis ovato-lanceolatis teneris minute ciliatis versus caulis apicem aggregatis, 
caule simplici erecto apice ramis furcatis, racemis spiciformibus terminalibus demum ebracteatis, alis 
obovatis capsula orbiculata emarginata duplo longioribus. P. glaueescens. Wall. Cat. 4182.—P. fur- 
cata. Tab. 19, fig. B—1. A flower.—2. The same, with the wings and the outer sepals of the calyx 
as well as the corolla, separated from the pistil.—3. The orbicular emarginate capsule—4. The aie 
cut transversely.—Hab. Mussooree during the rainy season.—Nepal. Wallich. 
P. crotalarioides (Hamilt.) caule a basi ramoso suffruticuloso decumbente piloso, foliis obovatis basi 
cuneato-petiolatis, racemis 8-10-floris, alis ovato-oblongis capsula suborbiculata ciliata duplolongioribus. 
—Bractee persistentes acute. D.C. Prod. 1. p. 327. Wall. Pl. As. Rar. p- 19. t.185.—Hab. Mus- 
sooree and everywhere in the Himatayas.—Nepal. Wallich, v. Tab. 19. fig. C, as 
This plant having been figured by Dr.Wallich, it would have been unnecessary to repeat it in the 
present work, were it not for its being employed in the Himalayas for the same purposes that P: senega 
or rattle-snake-root is in America; it is therefore desirable to call the attention of médical officers 
who may be favourably situated for the purpose, to make experiments on the subject, and sscertain if 
this ond be applied to the same purposes as the American snake-root. 
P triphylla (Hamilt.) floribus nudis non eristatis, alis obovatis, petali lobis lateralibus foliatis apice 
truncatis bidentatisque, foliis ovatis acutis glabris tenuissime serrulatis petiolatis, caule apice tieteathans 
ramis 
