150 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



Myrlstica Mas of Rumphius as the same. As he quotes botli, I cannot take 

 upon myself to determine which he really meant. If Thunberg did the same, 

 the name tomentosa, being uncertain, should be altogether abandoned, as both 

 M. Lamarck and Gaertner seem to have properly enough done. 



Samstravadi, seu Samstravari, seu Caipa Tsjambu, p.W. fab. 6. 



The second name, which is that on the plate, is evidently an error of the 

 engraver. The third implies the plant to be a species of Tsjatnbu or Eugenia, 

 an opinion adopted by Commeline on no other authority than that of the na- 

 tives, and these not the men of science ; for the Brahmans call it Sada Pali, 

 which Rheede says implies frugifera arbor. The vulgar Malabar generic 

 name is not Fadi, as Burman would have it {Fl. Ind. 1 15.) by printing Samstra 

 vadi. Samstravadi is evidently one word, and the prototype of a genus, as the 

 following plant is called by the same name, with the specific term Tsjeria 

 prefixed. Jussieu was therefore scarcely justifiable in calling {Gen. Plant. 361 .) 

 this genus Stravadium, which consists only of half a word. 



Plukenet (Mant. 137.) suspected, but without being certain, that the Sams- 

 travadi might be his Nuciprunifera Arbor, foliis densioribus, subtus argenteis 

 Jloribus in prcelongam spicam dispositis,fructu tetragono; but, although nearly 

 allied, the plants are no doubt different, as he might have concluded from 

 Rheede's description, " folia superne colore atro-viridi splendentia, inferne 

 viridi dilutiore." 



Linnaeus in the Flora Zeylanica (191.), still following the Hindu arrange- 

 ment, called the plant of Rheede Eugetiia foliis crenatis, pomis ovatis, racemo 

 longissi?no, which in the first edition of the Species Plantaium, and in Burman's 

 Flora Indica (115.), became the Eugenia racemosa ; but now the Butonica syl- 

 vestris alba of Rumphius {Herb. Amb. iii. 181. t. 116.) was added as synony- 

 mous. Although in the explanation of the plate Burman says that it repre- 

 sents the Butonica sylvestris alba, yet Rumphius himself called no plant by 

 this name, but in the places quoted describes and figures the Butonica terres- 

 tris alba, a species totally diflFerent from the Samstravadi. Willdenow, how- 

 ever, {Sp. PI. ii. 966.) leaves the synonyms just as he found them. 



M. Lamarck (Enc. Meth. iii. 197) continues to call this plant Eugenia race- 

 mosa, but notices its affinity to the Barringtonia or Butonica ; and although 



