on the Hortus Malabaricus, Part IF. 195 



PoNGA, seu PoNGU, p. 73. tab. 35. 

 With his usual negligence respecting names, Rheede says in the letter-press 

 that the Brahmans call this tree Helay, and in the plate that they call it Calo 

 Dumpu. In one place he says that the Portuguese call it Massao spinosa, and 

 in another, Tsjaka do Mato ; and on this resemblance Commeline calls it Jaca 

 minor sylvestris Malaharka. I must, however, say that the figure of the fruit, 

 as represented dissected in the plate, has little resemblance to an Artocarpus, 

 and seems to be composed of a number of one-leaved calyces, each terminated 

 by spinescent divisions ; nor is there any appearance either of sexual organs or 



seed. 



Plukenet in my opinion was little more fortunate than Commeline, when he 

 compared the Ponga {Mant. 42.) to his " Cenchramidea arbor pilulifera, friictu 

 tubercuUs inoequali, exgranulis coniformibus in orbem glomerato, nan capsularis" 

 {Jim. 92.; Phyt. 1. 156./. 3.), which has serrated leaves, and from its generic 

 name Cenchramidea, as well as from its habit, should be a Bubroma. 



The elder Burman erred much further in considering the Ponga as the same 

 with the Cussambium of Rumphius {Herb. Jmb. i. 157-), an opinion which it is 

 strange the accuracy and acuteness of M. Lamarck {Enc. Mdth. ii. 230.) should 

 have allowed to be of any weight ; for although he notices that the plants were 

 essentially different, yet, giving too much credit to the opinion of Burman, he 

 takes each leaflet of the Cussambi for a leaf, the leaves of the Ponga being 

 simple, while those of the Cussambi are pinnated. 



INI. Poiret {Enc. Mdth. v. 563.) is more fortunate in considering the Ponga 

 as a Papyrius or Broussonetia, which I am inclined to think is actually the 

 case; and I therefore suppose the figure of the dissected capitulum to repre- 

 sent the female flower before the singular receptaculum has elevated the seed. 

 In the woods near Goyalpara, on the south side of the Brahmaputra, I have 

 found, bearing ripe fruit, a species of this genus much in its foliage resembling 

 the Ponga ; but its fruit is much too small, and supported on too long foot- 

 stalks to admit of its being the same species. In the catalogue of specimens 

 presented to the library at the India House I have called it Papyrius seu 

 Broussonetia integrifoUa, a name equally applicable to the Ponga ; but in order 

 to distinguish them I shall here describe the plant, which I have seen. 



VOL. XVII. 2 D 



