192 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



ovata, latere posteriore angustato obliqua, acuta, serrata, costata, venis 

 reticulata, subopposita ; teiminale pedicello elongate elevatum ; novella 

 pilosiuscula, sed ante maturitatem pili decidui. 



Paniculce ante folia erumpentes, facie terminales, sed foliis prodeuntibus novis 

 infrafoliacese, ramosissimse. Rami sparsi, angulati, divaricati, nudiusculi. 

 Bractece squamiformes, vagse, parvse, caducse. Flores odorati, e luteo 

 rubescentes. 



Calyx campanulatus, coloratus, intus disco decemcrenato vestitus, basi decem- 

 striatus, quinquefidus. Petala quinque calycis laciniis duplo longiora, 

 oblonga, disci apici inserta. Filamenta decern, crenis disci inserta sub- 

 ulata, alternis longioribus calycem sequantibus. German superum, sti- 

 piti crasso insidens, subrotundum. Stylus teres longitudine staminum. 

 Stigma subrotnndum quinquelobum. 



Bacca calyce minuto emarcido insidens, magnitudine nucis Avellanse turbinata, 



submucronata, quinquelocularis, loculis nonnuUis semper fete abortienti- 



bus. 



Ben Kalesjam, sen Calesam, p. 71- tab. 34. 



The specific name Ben, applied to this species oi Calesam, signifies 'white,' as 

 Katou, applied to the former, signifies 'wild' or 'forest,' both terms equally ap- 

 plicable to each plant. The name given by the Brahmans of Malabar to the 

 Ben Kalesiam in the text is stated to be Mourmoura ; but on the plate it is 

 said to be Zelara, a difference which I cannot reconcile. 



Commeline justly remarks, that what is represented as the fruit is not in 

 reality such, but must be considered excrementitious, as he expresses it, that 

 is, a growth proceeding from the plant owing to an operation of insects, as 

 M. Poiret justly observes {Enc. M^th. Suppl. i. 613.). This is the only modern 

 author who mentions the plant, and he conjectures it to belong to the order of 

 Sapindi ; but I think that I have found in fructification a species of Schinus, 

 which, if difitrent, is very nearly alike to the Ben Kalesjam. It must, however, 

 be admitted that the Sapindi and Terebinthacece, to which latter the Schinus 

 belongs, have a very strong affinity, and are rather distinguished by minute 

 differences of fructification than by any great variety of general appearance. 

 I shall now describe the plant above mentioned, as perhaps the same with the 

 Ben Kalesjam. Specimens have been given to the library at the India House. 



