wight's botanical letters. J 93 



PALAMcoxrAH, 3d August, 1836. 

 A few days ago, I despatched a long letter to you, via 

 Madras, informing you of a large box of plants, which I was 

 on the eve of sending you. They are now at Tuticoreen, 

 and the vessel is expected to sail so scon, that it appears not 

 improbable they may leave the coast before the letter; to make 

 sure then of your getting due warning, I now write yon a 

 f*iw hurried lines to go along with them. 1 have at length 

 got all ready, and make my first march to-morrow, or at least 

 the day after. I had a letter from Graham the other day, in 

 which he tells me about his Gamboge inquiry. (See Hooker's 

 "Companion," vol. ii. p. 379.) I also have been induced to 

 examine the subject, and have drawn up a little paper for 

 publication in the Madras Journal, stating the results I have 

 come to. They are soon related. 



1. Graham's plant, which ever has produced, and does now 

 produce, all the Gamboge of Ceylon, is an exotic; or if a native, 

 We have as yet no evidence to that effect, an<l the tree is very 

 rare. It is more than probable that it is identical with Garcinia 

 pictoria, Roxb., but if not, the two are of the same genus. 

 I conclude the paper by an examination of the Garciniece, 

 and suggest the division of the genus Garcinia into four 

 genera, or subgenera. Stalagmites, after a careful study of 

 Schreber's character, I have reduced to Xanthochymus, Roxb., 

 by substituting five for four in the proportion of the parts of 

 the flower, which renders it symmetrical, like Xanthochymus ; 

 indeed his description of the stamens " in 5 phalanges 

 connata," is quite sufficient to settle the point, especially 

 when we add to that a three-seeded fruit : all the GarciniecB 

 having an even number. I propose to form the Mangosteen, 

 G.spedosa, Wall., and G. cornea, Roxb., into one genus, on 

 account of the stamens being united into cohorts or masses, 

 that is 4-delphous. G. Cambogia forms another from having 

 the stamens of the male flower in a single row around the 

 central receptacle. G. Ceylonica, Kydia, paniculata, pedun- 

 culata^ and affinis, W. & A., form a third, having the sta- 

 niens of the male flower united into a capitulum ; and 

 Vol. III.— 2\^o, 20. 2 c 



