328 GARCINIA AFFORDING GAMBOGE IN SIAM. 



1864. the same tree ; but as it lias borne no flowers, it lias not been in 

 a condition to render much service in the determination of the 

 species. 



Desirous of attempting to set at rest the question of the 

 origin of gamboge, or at least of obtaining further materials 

 upon which to work, I addressed myself some months ago to 



Mes&rs. D'Al- Messrs. D' Almeida, of Singapore, who promptly and courteously 

 Singapore, replied to my letter, and forwarded a jar containing an abund- 

 ant supply of specimens of the gamboge-tree cultivated on 

 their plantations. Messrs. D'Almeida informed me that the 

 trees, of which they have twenty^eight (but which might have 

 been increased to thousands had any pains been taken to do so), 

 are from 35 to 50 feet in height, the largest with a circumfer- 

 ence of about 3 feet ; and that they grow very luxuriantly, 

 without any attention, on the slope of a low hillock. Messrs. 

 D'Almeida further observe, " they are the real gamboge-tree ; " 

 and add that at various times they have caused gamboge to be 

 extracted from them. 



The specimens received comprise numerous small leafy 

 branches bearing male flowers, several branches with fruits, and 

 a few with female flowers, the whole preserved in alcohol. Pro- 

 fessor Oliver has kindly assisted me in examining them, and in 

 comparing them with the specimens of Garcinia contained in the 

 herbaria of the British Museum, Kew, and the Linnean Society, 

 as well as with the published descriptions and figures, and espe- 

 cially with the recent memoir of Drs. Planchon and Triana. 

 Singapore The Singapore gamboge-tree appeared to us exceedingly nearly 



Gamboge-tree. ^^ ^ ^ Q arcinia aiiptica of Wallich, of which we ex- 

 amined authentic specimens, and equally close to the Ceylon 

 species G. Morella, one of the two plants originally pointed out 

 by Hermann as the source of the drug, and the plant described 

 by Dr. Robert Graham in 1836 as Hebradendron cambogioides. 1 

 From both these, however, it differs in having pedicellate instead 

 of sessile or nearly sessile male flowers a differential specific 

 character, the value of which in such a genus was to us ques- 



1 Companion to the Botanical Magazine, vol. ii, (1636) tab. 27. 





