BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 289 



Hort. Malabar, vol. i. t. 28, proves it to be Ficus Indica, Linn., 

 and certainly of Roxburgh, whose clear account of the plant, 

 and his great knowledge of Indian Botany, render him the 

 highest authority in such a case. Our Herbaria, too, I sus- 

 pected to be miserably defective in specimens of the true Ban- 

 yan, which every body speaks of, but which few have discrimi- 

 nated. Our own Herbarium, ricii as it is in the productions of 

 our eastern possessions, does notyet possess a single specimen ; 

 and Dr. Arnott, among the vast collections which he has re- 

 ceived from Dr. Wight, has only one indifferent specimen, 

 whichhe has allowed us to examine; butourfigure (Tab. XIV.) 

 is a faithful copy from No. 682 of Dr Roxburgh's drawings in 

 the East Indian Company's Museum. Our readers, also, will 

 not be displeased to see Roxburgh's description; and Dr. Ar- 

 nott has assisted us in elaborating the synonyms, so that we 

 trust, henceforth, all ambiguity respecting the scientific name of 

 the Banyan will be removed, and that our figure will render 

 the species intelligible to all who may feel interested in this tree. 

 With regard to the Linnaean Ficus Indica, it would appear 

 from his character of the leaves, and his reference to Rheede, 

 vol. 3. t. 63, (Roxburgh's F, Tsiela) that he drew up his ac- 

 count partly from the popular history of the true Banyan, 

 and partly from Rheede's figure above quoted. When, how- 

 ever, we consider that he says of his plant, " ramis radicanti- 

 bus," and that Roxburgh observes, that " he knows of no 

 other species of Ficus which sends forth fibres from the 

 branches that descend to the ground and become trunks,'^ we 

 are disposed to agree with Sir James Smith, in believing he 

 had the Banyan in view when he described his F. Indica. 

 No more can we doubt that Southey has the same tree in 

 view, when, in the Curse of Kehama lie says — 



" It was a goodly sight to see 



That venerable tree. 



For o'er the lawn irregularly spread. 



Fifty straight columns propt its lofty head ; 



And maay a long depending shoot, 



Seeking to strike its root, 



Straight like a plummet, grew towards the ground. 

 Vol. Ill,— No. 21. 2p 



