154 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [Zyoophyllece. 
Kunawur, whence B. odora was brought: me by my plant collectors and also found 
there by Mr. Inglis; it was at once recognised in my Herbarium by Mr. Brown. The 
dissections. of this interesting plant, represented at Tab. 30, were drawn by Mr. C. 
Curtis, under the directions of this illustrious botanist: . The best generic character. has 
been given by M. Ad. de Jussieu in his memoir on the Rutacee. The similarity in the 
appearance of many of the plants of this cold, arid, and frequently saline region, to 
those found in the equally arid and saline, though hot region about Delhi, was formerly 
noticed, p. 39. It is interesting to find in the former, a genus allied to Zygophyllee, 
which are common in the latter; and in both there is an approximation to the Flora of 
the Oriental region. Melianthus was thought peculiar to the Cape of Good Hope, until 
Dr.Wallich’s plant-collectors discovered a decided species of this genus in the lofty 
mountains of Kemaon. 
Balanites Zgyptiaca (Ximenia, Auct.) which, though so strongly resembling Zygo- 
phyllum in having its leaves in pairs, has long since been stated by Mr. Brown not to 
belong to this order. By M. Delile it is referred to Aurantiacee, and by the authors 
of the Mora Senegambie to Olacinee; with neither of which does it appear tome to 
be more closely allied than with the order from which it has been ‘removed. It is 
interesting to find this plant common in the country about Delhi, and in the Doab 
as far as Allahabad, especially on the banks of the Jumna, as it serves with the 
other plants mentioned p.5, to shew an analogy in the Flora of this part of India 
with that of Egypt, where also this plant is found, as well as in both the interior and on 
the western coast of Africa. This was first discovered by Dr. Roxburgh, as belonging to 
the Indian Flora, when he suggested that it should be formed into a new genus, rather 
than be referred to Ximenia, and described it as common on the driest and most barren 
parts of the Circars ; it is found only in similar situations in the north of India, and is 
one of those plants referred to at p. 5, as shewing the great uniformity of vegetation 
over a great extent of the plains of India. In the neighbourhood of Delhi, there is 
also a very distinct variety, if not a new species, with small narrow lanceolate leaves, 
which in my journal I named rigidum, in contradistinction to the other, which I called 
arboreum, referring both with a doubt to Zygophyllum, as they were at that time with- 
out flowers or fruit. From an officer of rank in the medical service I also received a 
drawing of a variety with yellow flowers, from the neighbourhood of Cawnpore, which 
may also be a distinct species. The fact would be interesting, as assisting in ascertaining 
the native country of the first species, in accordance with Mr. Brown’s rule, that a plant 
would more probably ‘‘ belong to that country in which all the other species of the same 
genus were found decidedly indigenous, than to that where it was the only species of the 
genus known to exist.” In the present instance, there can be no doubt about this plant 
being indigenous in India, whatever it may be in Africa. 
M. Silvestre de Sacy, in the learned and invaluable notes attached to his translation 
of the “ Relation de l’ Egypte par Abd-allatif,’ bas proved that the lebakh of Arabian 
authors is the Persea of the ancients ; which he however concludes has entirely disap- 
peared 
