672 ORD. XL. Oleracewt.  LAURUS CINNAMOMUM, 
growing in Malabar, Sumatra, &c. differing only through the 
influence of the soil and climate in which it grows, or from the 
culture or manner of curing the Cinnamon. Mr. White and Mr. 
Combes, who have investigated this subject with considerable 
attention, agree with Gracias, and determine this question in the 
affirmative.* 
* According to many botanical writers the principal marks of distinction of 
these plants are to be found in the leaf, which in the Cinnamon of Ceylon is more 
oval and less pointed than the others, and the nerves do not reach to the margin $ 
while in the Cinnamon of Sumatra they are said to be continued to the extremity 
of the leaf.—Respecting the bark it is well known to be less warm and grateful 
to the taste, manifesting that viscosity on being chewed which is never observable 
in the Ceylon Cinnamon. But Mr, White, with the assistance of Dr. Matty, 
carefully compared the specimens of the Cinnamon-tree, (commonly called Cassia) 
which he had from Sumatra, with those from Ceylon, preserved in the British 
Museum, which were the collections of Boerhaave, Courteen, Plukenet, and 
Petiver, and found the difference so inconsiderable, as fully to justify his opinion. 
In Murray’s edition of the Systema Veg. we find superadded to the description of 
Cassia, “‘ Esse modo Varietatem precedentis, (Cinnam.) foliis angustioribus et 
obtusioribus, Thunberg in Act. Scockh. 1780. p. 56. The difference of the bark 
itself it thus stated by Ray, ** Offieinz nostra Cassiam ligneam a Cinnamomo seu 
Canella distinctam faciunt, Cassiam Cinnamomo crassiorem plerumque esse colore 
rubicundiorem, substantia duriorem, solidiorem & compactiorem, gustu magis 
glutinoso, odore quidem & sapore Cinnamomum aptius referre, tamen Cinnamomo 
imbecilliorem’ & minus vegetam esse ex accurata observatione. Tho, Johnson.’ 
But Mr. White says, ** From the specimens I shall now produce, it will most 
plainly appear, that these differences are merely accidents, arising from the age of 
the Canella, the part of the tree from whence it is gathered, and from the manner 
of cultivating and curing it.” And he observes, ‘‘ If any conjecture can arise 
from hence, it may be, that the Cinnamon of Ceylon was formerly, as well as that 
of Sumatra and Malabar, called Cassia; but that the Dutch writers, being 
acquainted with the excellent qualities which the ancients ascribed to their 
Cinnamon, chose to add the name Cinnamon to that of Cassia; and in process of 
time they have found the name of Cinnamon more profitable than that of Cassia, 
by which we chuse to call our Canella, to our national loss of many thousands a 
year.” (Phil. Trans. vol. 50. p. 887.) How far the reasoning of Mr, White is 
really well founded, we leave to the judgement of others; it may however be 
remarked, that his opinion is not a little supported, from the consideration that 
the Cinnamon plant varies exceedingly, even in the island of Ceylon, where 
Burman collected nine different sorts, and Seba actually describes ten. 
