COMPARATIVE VIEW. 150 



indigenous to the shores and islands of equinoctial Asia, is 

 yet the only species of its genus that does not belong exclu- 

 sively to America. 



Cytisiis Cajci?!, may be supposed to have been introduced 

 from India. This plant, Avhich is very generally cultivated 

 in the vicinity of the Congo, I conclude is the Voando, 

 mentioned by Captain Tuckey as being ripe in October ; 

 and as Mr. Lockhart understood from the natives, that 

 Cytisus Cajan continues to bear for three years, it is pro- 

 bably Merolla's Ovvando, of which he gives a similar 

 account.^ 



Whether AracJns hjporjcea be indigenous or introduced, 

 cannot now perhaps be satisfactorily determined. This 

 remarkable plant, whose singular structure and economy 

 were first correctly described by M. Poiteau,^ and which 

 was every where seen in abundance, as far as the river was 

 examined, appears to form an important article of cultiva- 

 tion along the whole of the west coast of Africa, and proba- 

 bly also on the east coast, on several parts of which it was 

 found by Loureiro.^ 



According to the same author, it is also universally culti- 

 vated in China and Cochinchina. 



From China it has probably been introduced into the 1473 

 continent of India, Ceylon, and the Malayan Archipelago, 

 where, though now generally cultivated, there is reason to 

 believe, particularly from the names given to it, that it is 

 not indigenous. I think it not very iniprol)able that 

 it may have been carried from Africa to various parts of 

 equinoctial America, though it is noticed in some of the 

 early accounts of that continent, especially of Peru and 

 Brazil. 



According to Professor Sprengel,"* it is mentioned by 

 Theophrastus as cultivated in Egypt : but it is by no means 

 evident that Arachis is the plant intended in the passage of 

 Theophrastus referred to ; and it is probable that had it 

 been formerly cultivated in Egypt, it would still l)c found 

 in that country ; it is not, however, included either in 



^ Piccardo llelaz. ;>. 120. - Mem. dc V Instil. Sc. Phi/s. Sai\ Elrang. ],/?. 453. 

 ^ Ilor. Cochin. 430. ■» Hist, ltd Herb. },p. 98. 



