240 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



whence the specific name is derived, and which seems to have been very 

 remarkable in the specimens, from which LinnjEus took his account, " ramis 

 bifariam valde flexuosis." This character is not noticed in the Flora Zeylanica, 

 although there can be no doubt that the same plant was meant. It is, how- 

 ever, retained in the Hortus Keicensis, where the plant is growing. This leads 

 ine to suppose that even in India there are several species of Physalis nearly 

 allied to the Solanum somyiiferum of ancient botanists ; and, in order to put a 

 stop to any supposition of their being the Pee Vett'i, I shall here describe those 

 which I saw. Both varieties are called by the Bengalese Sugunda, and in the 

 vulgar Hindwi dialect Usgund ; but by writers on the Materia Medica, using 

 a higher style, the name is written Isganda ; and all these words are no doubt 

 corruptions from Aswagandha of the Sanskrita. The plants grow in every 

 part of India among impure rubbish near villages, such as that in which the 

 Hyoscyamus, Datura, and other narcotic Solanacece delight, and probably pos- 

 sess analogous qualities. Their habit differs so much from that of the Physalis 

 with esculent berries, that I doubt the propriety of including them in one 

 genus. 



The first variety or species which I shall mention I have called 



Physalis Sugunda. 



Radix forte perennis ? Caulis lignosiusculus, erectus, duos vel tres pedes altus, 

 ramosus, pubescens, teres, ramis rectis subdichotomus. Folia lanceolato- 

 ovata, acuta, integerrima, costata, venosa, pubescentia ; inferiora alterna ; 

 superiora ssepius geminata. Petiolus non stipulaceus, brevis, teres, supra 

 planus, pubescens. 



Pedunculi plures, axillares, conferti, uniflori, petiolo multo breviores, pubes- 

 centes, ebracteati. Flores parvi, absque macula in coroUee fundo herbacei, 

 odore gravi pubescentes. 



Calyx cylindricus, decemangularis, ore quinquefido, patulo. Corollce calyce 

 paulo longioris tubus incrassatus, brevis : limbus campanulatus, decem- 

 angularis, laciniis ovatis, patulis quinquefidus. Filamenta quinque e tubi 

 parte inferiore enata, basi crasso subulata, longitudine corollam fere 

 Bequantia. Antherce cordatse. Germen superum, ovatum. Stylus teres. 

 Stigma capitatum. 



