142 Dr. Francis Hamilton's Commentary 



their laws. This generic term is therefore applied to some spe- 

 cies that do not send roots from their branches ; but perhaps 

 such are never called Vata or J'atti or Batti without the term 

 Cam prefixed. 



Perim Teregam, p. 81. t. 61. 



This is another tree, which the Brahmans called Carabatii, 

 using the compound word for the generic term, and prefixing 

 the specific name Mcri, which would seem to countenance the 

 idea above mentioned. No notice was taken of the Peri?n Te- 

 regam by any subsequent author, except the compiler Ray, 

 until ]\L Lamarck quoted it, with doul^t iiowever, for his Ficus 

 si/mp/ii/f/folia [^Euc. Metli. ii. 498.). On the contrary, Willdenow 

 {Sp. Fl. iv. 1151.) quotes it, but with doubt also, for the Ficus 

 opposiii folia, to which indeed it has a considerable affinity ; but 

 there is nothing in either the figure or description to induce us 

 to think that its leaves are opposite. In this point, however, 

 Rheede and his painters were often negligent ; and I must con- 

 fess that I at one time thought with Willdenow, that the Perim 

 Teregam was a variety of the Ficus opposilij'o/ia, of which I gave 

 specimens (Cat. No. 2424) to the library at the India House : 

 but on more mature deliberation, I think, that these specimens 

 can scarcely be the Ferim Teregam, Avhicli has the edges of its 

 leaves quite entire, while in my plant they are indented. On 

 the whole I doubt much of the Perim Teres.am havin"' been 

 noticed by modern botanists. 



Valli Teregam, p. 83. t. 62. 



Here is a third species, which the Brahmans of Malabar call 

 Caravatti; bvit it is distinguished by having annexed the specific 

 name Valli (scandens), Avhich, contrary to the usual custom, is 

 placed after instead of before the generic name. 



Plukenet very strangely imagined that this was the same with 



' his 



