156 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



Commeline, however, does not venture to compare this with any plant then 

 known ; and it was with uncertainty that Plukenet quoted it for his Prunifera 

 arbor seu Nucipruntfera folio dodrantali longltudiue, Icevi mollitie prcedito 

 {Aim. 306.; Plii/t. t. 218. y. 1.), a West Indian plant that I cannot trace in 

 modern authors, unless it be the Achras Sapota, which, according to the Hor- 

 tiis Kewemis (ii. 312.), is called the Bully-tree, if that be the same with the 

 Bully-Bay used in Barbadoes according to Phikenet. Sliould this be the 

 case, the West Indian plant can have no affinity with the Tsjeroe. 



M. Lamarck tliought that tlie Tsjeroe might be a ]\Iangifera, and it is ac- 

 cordingly mentioned {Enc. Meth. Suppl. iii. 584.) under the name of Mangifera} 

 racemosa, M. Poiret justly doubting of its being a real Mangifera. This is the 

 only notice, so far as I know, that was taken of this tree by modern botanists, 

 until I visited Chatigang in 1797, and Mysore in 1800. On my return from 

 the former, I gave young plants to Dr. Roxburgh ; and on my return from the 

 latter, I showed him a drawing and specimens, which were afterwards given to 

 Sir J. E. Smith, under the name of Holigarna Vernix ; but Dr. Roxburgh 

 called it Holigarna longifoUa {Hort. Beng. 22.). The plant, which I saw, 

 seems to be that which Rheede calls Tsjeroe, or Biho, without prefixing a spe- 

 cific name, and differs from the Cattu Tsjeru, or Rana Bibo, of which he gives 

 a figure, in having much shorter racemes, and these not at the end of the 

 branches, but from their sides, and also in a singular small tooth-like process 

 on each side of the pefiolus. Dr. Roxburgh describes another species from 

 Silhet, of which I have given specimens to the library at the India House. 

 This genus, remarkable for the caustic nature of its juice, which is used as a 

 varnish, I cannot reduce to any of Jussieu's natural orders. It comes nearer 

 the Rhus than to any Linnsean genus ; but has the germen inferam ; on this 

 account, as well as its caustic juice, it seems nearly allied to the Rak of Japan 

 {Kcempf. Amcen. Exot. 793.), and to the Arbor f'ernicis of Rumphius {Herb. 

 Ainb. ii. 259. t. 86.), which M. Lamarck {Enc. Meth. i. 350.) calls Terminalia 

 Vernix. I should, indeed, have no doubt of their belonging to the same genus, 

 did not Rumphius say, " flores plurimis staminibus rubris referti," which, if 

 accurate, would show an essential difference between his plant and both the 

 Bibo and lerminalia. In fact, the two latter have no sort of affinity, while 

 the number of styles and the position of the germen distinguish the Bibo most 



