662 On the Gamboge of the Tenasserim Provinces. [July, 



Dr. Graham lias described a Ceylon tree under the name of Hebra- 

 dendron cambogioides, which is said to produce good Gamboge ; but no 

 Gamboge has ever been exported into the English market from Ceylon. 

 Thus it would appear, to use the language of Dr. Wight, that "the 

 tree, or trees, which produce the Gamboge of commerce is not yet 

 known." 



Dr. Heifer who was employed by government as a scientific naturalist 

 in these Provinces, at an expense of thirteen hundred rupees per month, 

 reported " the Gamboge of this country dissolves very little with water, 

 and consequently does not yield that yellow emulsion as the common 

 guttifera. It will never serve as a color, but promises to give a very 

 beautiful varnish." This statement was controverted by a writer in 

 our local periodical at the time, who said he had obtained " fine Gamboge 

 of the very best description" from our jungles ; in which he was no 

 doubt correct, but he erred when he added that it came from the 

 " true Stalaymitis cambogioides. ,y A very small amount of botany 

 would have served to preserve him from falling into this error ; for 

 that plant has a quinary arrangement of its flowers, while the arrange- 

 ment of the flowers in those that produce Gamboge in these Provinces 

 is quaternary. 



The hills that bound the valley of the Tavoy river, on both sides, 

 from their bases to their summits, abound with a tree which produces 

 a fine Gamboge. It is Roxburgh's Garcinia pictoria, which he knew 

 produced Gamboge, but which he said was liable to fade. As soon as 

 I satisfied myself of the identity of the trees by an examination of the 

 inflorescence of our plant compared with Roxburgh's description, I 

 colored a piece of paper, one band with this Gamboge, and another with 

 the Gamboge of commerce ; and subsequently exposed both to the 

 weather equally for more than twelve months, but without being able to 

 discover that one faded any more than the other. South of the lati- 

 tude of the mouth of Tavoy river, and throughout the Province of 

 Mergui, there is found on the low plains at the foot of the hills, and 

 on the banks of the rivers, almost down to tide waters, another species 

 of Garcinia that also produces good Gamboge. I have no doubt but it is 

 the tree from which Dr. Griffiths furnished Dr. Wight with specimens, 

 and which the latter says, " I refer doubtfully to Wallich's G. ellip- 

 tical We will call it then G. elliptica, a species which Dr. Wight has 



