APRIL. 



81 



here ; the hirgest, about 40 feet high, with a girth (at 3 feet above 

 the base) of G feet, stood close to the cave ; the other was smaller, 

 and overhung an old square reservoir of water lined with bricks and 

 stones. They were profusely ornamented with pendulous racemes 

 of large vermilion- coloured blossoms, forming superb objects, un- 

 equalled in the Flora of the East Indies. I call this tree Amherstia 

 nobilis ; the Burmese name is Thoka. Neither the people here nor 

 at Martaban could give me any distinct account of its native place 

 of growth, but there is little doubt that it belongs to the forests of 

 this province. The ground was strewed even at a distance with its 

 blossoms, which are carried daily as offerings to the images in the 

 adjoining caves." Such is Dr. Wallich's account of this tree, of 

 which he only met with two specimens ; but we have heard that it 

 was found plentifully 

 in the woods of Moul- 

 mein by the late Dr. 

 Griffiths. The speci- 

 men in Mrs. Law- 

 rence's garden is now 

 nearly 16 feet in 

 height, 14 feet across 

 at the base, and is 

 clothed with perfect 

 foliage. Indeed it is 

 scarcely possible to 

 conceive any thing 

 more beautiful than 

 theyoung leaves when 

 they first unfold ; and 

 even if the tree bore no 

 flowers'at all, it would 

 be worth cultivating 

 for the beauty of its 

 foliage alone. The 

 latter hangs down, to- 

 gether with the shoots, 

 to which it is attached 

 in a most graceful man- 

 ner. The floweis are 

 individually large, as 

 will be seen by the an- 

 nexed woodcut, rosy 

 pink, with the vexil- 

 lum (a) and two wings 

 (6)tipped with yellow, 

 and scentless. They 

 are borne in loose pen- 

 dulous bunches be- 

 neath the foliage. 

 The soil in which 



