on the Hortus Malabaricus, Part IF. 229 



represented the least vestige of a calyx towards the pedunculus. The leaves, 

 being opposite, prevent me from considering it allied to the Anavinga, and on 

 the wliole it seems more nearly allied to the Comhretacece than to any other 

 order, unless M. Lamarck's conjecture of the germen being above is well 

 founded, in which case it would approach nearer the Laurince. 



Bengieri, seu Bengiri, p. 105. tab. 51. 



Girt, corrupted from Girimaso of the Brahmans, would seem to be tlie 

 generic name, and Ben to be a specific term. The Portuguese of Malabar 

 have judged properly of its aflSnities, in classing it with the Phyllanthus Em- 

 bllca {Neli-ca) ; for it evidently belongs to the order of Euphorbice, and pos- 

 sesses in an eminent degree the acrimony of this order, as expressed by the 

 Portuguese and Dutch specific names. Few plants of the order, however, are 

 less nearly allied to the Bengiri than the Emblica ; nor is Commeline more 

 fortunate than the vulgar Portuguese in classing it in the genus Ricinus. We 

 may judge of the slow and gradual progress of improvement from these rude 

 attempts at arrangement, by the name given to this plant by Plukenet {Aim. 

 320.), who calls it " Ricinus Indians Patsjoti Malabaricas foliis, fructu majore 

 rotundo hexagono, Nilicamaram {Emblica) cemulo.'" 



No subsequent notice was taken of this plant, until I found it in Tripura, 

 and sent it in 1797 to Dr. Roxburgh, who again transmitted it to Willdenow 

 under the name of Sapiiim Bengerium ; but Willdenow published it under 

 the name of Sapium indicum {Sp. PI. iv. 572.), adopted since by Roxburgh 

 {Hort. Beng. 69.) and M. Poiret {Enc. MM. Suppl. ii. 796.). I have found 

 the tree very common in the Delta of the Ganges, and the Bengalese called 

 it to me Hurmayi; but in the Hortus Bengalensis they are said to call it 

 Hoorooa, I suppose a typographical error, the second oo having been printed 

 in place of »n. In 1801, I found it common in the woods of Malabar, speci- 

 mens from which were given to Sir J. E. Smith under the name of Sapium 

 Hurmais ; others from Bengal, under the name adopted by Willdenow, have 

 been placed in the library at the India House. 



I have called it a Sapium in compliance with the systematic authors of the 

 day, without taking into consideration the foundations on which this genus 

 rests ; for it is no doubt true, as M. Poiret justly remarks, that this genus 



2 H 2 



