ON SELECT INDIAN PLANTS. 269 



in form and colour, finely shaded with carmine 

 and white ; agreeably acid. Branches two-for- 

 ked. Leaves opposite, short petioled, elliptic, 

 obtuse, most entire, smooth; some small leaves 

 roundish inverse hearted. Thorns axillary, op- 

 posite, expanding; points bright red. Peduncles 

 twin, subterminal, three-flowered ; pedicels equal. 

 The whole plant, even the fruit, milky. We have 

 both species of Carissa in this province - 3 but they 

 melt, scarce distinguishably, into each other. 

 The Pandits have always brought me this elegant 

 plant as the Carcandu, mentioned by Jayade'va ; 

 but, judging only by the shape and taste of the 

 fruit, they seem to confound it with the Rhamnus 

 Jujuba; and the confusion is increased by the obscuri- 

 ty of the following passage in their best vocabulary : 



Carcandhii ', vadar'i, co VI ; colam, cuvala pV&nile, 

 Sauviram, vadaram^ ghontd — — — 



All agree, that the neuter words mean fruits only ; 

 but some insist, that the Ghontd is a distinct plant, 

 thus described in an ancient verse : * The ghonta\ 

 * called also gopaphdnta, is a tree shaped like the 

 ' Vadari, with a very small fruit, growing only in 

 1 forests.* For the ghontd, here known by the name 

 of Se'hdcul, my servants brought me Rhamnus 

 with leaves alternate egg-oblong, three-nerved, ob- 

 scurely sawed, paler beneath, and most beautifully 

 veined ; floral young leaves crowded, very long, li- 

 near - 9 prickles often solitary, sometimes paired, one 



straight, 



