104 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



that 1 know ; yet in the number of parts, and even structure of 

 the most essential organs, such as the antheriTe, there are great 

 differences existing between different species ; which shows the 

 impropriety of founding new genera on differences of number, or 

 even of structure in minute parts, however essential, where there 

 are no corresponding differences in habit or general appear- 

 ance. 



Bi-ATTi, p. 43. tah.AO. 



Both Rheede and his commentator considered this as a species 

 of Eugenia, to which it no doubt has some affinity, although this 

 is not very striking. No further notice, except a slight one by 

 Camelli published by Ray, was taken of this plant, until Rum- 

 phius described it under the name of Manginm caseolare {Herb. 

 Ami), iii. 111.), without however noticing its being the Blafti of 

 Rheede. This, indeed, is done in the observation annexed by 

 Burman, 113, who says that Rumphius noticed the identity of 

 the plants ; but I have not discovered where he says so. Rum- 

 phius divides the Mang/iim caseolare into two kinds ; album, 

 figured in tab. 73, and rubrum, figured in tab. 74. The only diffe- 

 rence, however, which he mentions is, that the former has round, 

 and the latter quadrangular branches: " Ejus {M. cas. rubri) 

 ramuli non sunt rotundi, sed quadrati, et quasi alati, ita ut oras 

 gérant acutas :" and in fact the figure (74.) represents the branches 

 of this form, while in tab. 73 they are round. This difference, I 

 suspect, is not to be relied upon as sufficient ; for in the plants 

 which I have seen, both on the banks of the Ganges and of the 

 Erawadi, the description of Rheede is perfectly applicable : 

 " Rami et surculi teneriores quadranguli — vetustiores vero alis 

 privati ac rotundiores," as may be observed in the specimens 

 from the Ganges which I have deposited in the library at the 

 India House. One circumstance, however, might seem to indi- 

 cate some difference between the plants of Rheede and Rum- 

 phius. 



