232 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



cum imparl quadrijuga, opposita, remota, petiolata, acuminata, integerrima, 

 nitida, subcostata, venosa : lateralium latus anterius posteriore et longius 

 et latius ; terminale ellipticum. Petiolus communis pubescens, basi incras- 

 sato teres, mediocris, non stipulaceus. Rachis teres, ad foliola nodosus. 

 PetlnU partiales canaliculati, breves, utrinque articulati ; terminaii pro- 

 ductiore. 



Pedunculus communis axillaris, solitarius, longitudine folii patens, ima parte 

 incrassata teres, apicem versus tetragonus, nudus. Cyma erecta, com- 

 posita radiis quinque, quorum quatuor laterales ancipites, corymbiferi, 

 brachiati ; intermedius tetragonus, iterum radiis quatuor umbellatus, vel 

 aliquando brachiato-corymbosus. Flores parvi, albi, odorati. Bractece 

 squamiformes, fugaces, involucriformes. 



Caly.r minimus, patens, laciniis obtusis quinquefidus. Petala quinque linearia, 

 concava, apice acuto incurvo patentia, unguibus calycis medio inserta. 

 Urceolus hypogynus, petalis paulo brevior, cylindricus, decemfidus, laciniis 

 incurvis, bicornibus. Antherce decem inter urceoli cornua insidentes, 

 ovatse. Germen superum, depressum. Stylus brevis, incrassatus. Stigma 

 truncatum. 



In Nepalse arbore peduncuii divisiones minus regulares, et potius ramis sub- 

 umbellatis paniculatse. 



On the most careful examination I cannot discover any solid characters by 

 which we can distinguish the Melia Azederaclt from the M. sempervirens of the 

 Hortus Bengalensis, and therefore I have no doubt that Linnaeus and Lamarck 

 were quite right in considering them as mere varieties, although the latter is a 

 native of India Proper, and the other seems to extend from Persia to China 

 along the sides of the great ridge of Emodus. In their native countries both 

 are equally trees of a moderate size. If the West India plant mentioned by 

 Willdenow is different from the M. sempervh-ens of India, that is, from the 

 M.foliis dupUcatO'pinnatis, a,, of the Flora Zcylanica, I have not seen it ; and 

 the 31. Azedarach, (i. of the Species Plantarum should be excluded from the 

 synonyma. 



In India; australioris planta, sempervirens dicta, foliola lucida, bullata; in 

 Chinensi planta, Azedarach a Roxburghio dicta, foliola plana, non lucida. 



