488 MR. D. HANBURY ON A SPECIES OF GARCINIA. 
that country. Siam, however, is still unexplored by the botanist; but the gamboge-tree 
has been transported thence to Singapore, and many specimens of it, cultivated as objects 
of curiosity, have for some years past been flourishing on the estate of Messrs. José 
D’Almeida & Sons, of that island. From some of these trees specimens were obtained a 
few years ago, and transmitted to Professor Christison, who published an account of them 
in the ‘Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh’*. Professor Christison has 
stated that the tree is nearly allied to Garcinia elliptica, Wallich, but that it differs from 
that species in having the male flowers pedicellate instead of sessile. From want of 
specimens, it appears that Professor Christison did not complete his investigation, at any 
rate so far as to publish any definition of the plant in question. In the Royal Botanical 
Garden of Edinburgh there has been, until recently, a living specimen of the same tree ; 
but as it has borne no flowers, it has 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 Messrs. D’Almeida, of Singapore, who promptly and courteously replied to my letter, 
and forwarded a jar containing an abundant 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 circum- 
ference 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 gam- 
boge-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. 
Professor 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 especially 
with the recent memoir of Drs. Planchon and Triana. The Singapore gamboge-tree 
appeared to us exceedingly nearly allied to the Garcinia elliptica of Wallich, of which 
we examined authentie 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 cambogioidest. 
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 questionable. We therefore transmitted specimens of the Singapore tree to 
Mr. Thwaites in Ceylon, requesting to have his judgment as to the probable correctness 
of referring them to G. Morella, Desrouss., a plant with which he was perfectly familiar. 
Mr. Thwaites, whose opinion upon other grounds we regard as deserving much consider- 
ation, replied that, although the Singapore Garcinia looked a little different from the 
* Vol. ii. (1851) p. 263; Pharm. Journ. & Trans. vol. x. p. 235. 
t Companion to the Botanical Magazine, vol. ii. (1836) tab. 27. 
