442 Contributions towards a Flora of Ceylon. 



but it is not truly a native, being only found in the vicinity 

 of temples, and now, moreover, it is removed by Lindley 

 from Ternstromiacece, and more correctly referred to Cistacece, 

 Mr. Bennett, in his recent work " on Ceylon and its capabi- 

 lities," gives a coloured drawing of a species of the genus 

 Thea, which he says was found growing wild at Batticaloa, on 

 the east side of the Island. The figure is certainly that of a 

 species of Tea, and resembles much more the Assam than 

 the Chinese plant. During a recent visit which I made to 

 Batticaloa, I did not meet with it in my botanical rambles, 

 nor did any of the English residents there know any thing 

 about it. As I cannot believe Mr. Bennett to be guilty of 

 imposition, I hope that it will some day reward my re- 

 searches. It is very likely a native of the mountains inland 

 from Batticaloa, which I have not yet visited. If found, it 

 will form a valuable addition to the Flora of Ceylon. 



EURYA, Thunb. 



The genus Eurya was established in the year 1789, by 

 Thunberg, in his Flora jap onica, for the reception of a single 

 species ; but since then, and that principally within the last 

 few years, many others have been added to it from the Eastern 

 Islands and various parts of the continent of India. It has 

 not, however, so far as I am aware, even been suspected by 

 botanists that this genus is identical with Freziera, a genus 

 established by Swartz, at a later period, in his Flora Indies 

 occidentalism for the reception of two West Indian plants. 

 I was first led to suspect that these genera were not distinct 

 from the great 'resemblance they have in habit; and after a 

 more particular examination of several West Indian and 

 South American species of Freziera which I possess, as well 

 as the detailed descriptions and beautiful figures of five species 

 in the " Plantes Equinoxiales" of Humboldt and Bonpland, 

 I do not find a single character by which to distinguish them 

 from the Enryas of the Eastern world. The dioecious cha- 



