91 



it off with the thumb-nail. I have one of the lamina in my pocket- 

 book measuring in length eight inches and three quarters, and trans- 

 versely six inches and a half. The examination of this, even in an 

 undressed state, completely identifies itwith what is called like Paper. 



" I must not forget to give you the native name of the plant, which 

 in Bengalee is Shola, commonly pronounced Sola. Dr. Roxburgh 

 considered the plant as annual, I believe. The foliage and other 

 parts of the plant, where water is wanting, die down to the roots ; 

 but where water is plentiful, the stems remain and branch out afresh 

 in the proper season." 



The volumes of drawings of Indian plants above alluded to, had 

 been previously consigned to our use by General Hardwicke ; and they 

 contain a complete figure of the plant, with flower, fruit, and a portion 

 of that part of the stem which is thus employed for making rice paper. 

 These will be engraved and pubhshed in the next Number of this 

 Miscellany. 



With regard to the species, however, the drawing in question is 

 certainly the JEschi/nomene paliidosa * of Roxburgh ; for it entirely 

 agrees with his figure of that plant in the splendid series of unpub- 

 lished drawings in the possession of the Honourable the East India 

 Company, copies from which we have now by us. But there ajjpears 

 to be reason to think that is the same species with JEscJujnomene 

 lagenariaf of Loureiro, which grows in Cochinchina. The cliarac- 

 ters entirely agree ; and Loureiro attributes to his plant, uses some- 

 what similar. " Caulis" he says " spongiosus et facile cedens, ac 

 elastice resiliens commode aptatur ad obturandas lagenas, defectio 

 suberis, quo regio ilia caret." Again ; this species is, and in my 

 opinion justly, united by DeCandolle at the suggestion of Dr. Wal- 

 lich, with JEachynomene aspera of Linnaius ; which name we there- 

 fore prefer should be retained. 



* In the drawing and MS. Catalogue at the India House it is called aqmtica : 

 in the printed "Hortus Benghalcnsis" JEschynomenc paludosa, S/iola and KatlirShola, 

 Benghalce. 



t Iledysarunti lagenaria, Roxb. Ilort. Bcnghal. Vliool-Skola, Bcnglialcc. 



