216 JACK'S LETTEKS TO WALLICH, 1819-1821. 



Your name of Neuropeltis 231 I like much, and prefer it to 

 the one I was thinking of Neuropteris, which is too like the fam. 

 of Insecta. My account of the fruit is as follows : — Capsula 4- 

 valvis, monosperma, semen globosum, alhumine parce mucilaginoso 

 cotyledonibus eontortuplicatis, radicula " umbilico ohversa " in- 

 fera. 



I believe I mentioned to you having found what I took to be 

 a new Macrolobium.-' 2 I happend afterwards accidentally to refer 

 to Jonesia and Eheede's Asjoogam, when the similarity with my 

 Macrolobium struck me, and on further comparison I was con- 

 vinced of their identity in genus, not in species, mine being tetran- 

 drous. On analysing however Roxburgh's description, which is 

 ineffably bad, for who would call the bracts a diphyllous calyx, and 

 give a leguminous plant a tubular monopetalous corolla, bearing 

 not only the stamina but the pistillum, a thing hactenus inauditum, 

 I have arrived at the conclusion that Jonesia is nothing else than 

 Macrolobium disguised under a blundering description. The only 

 single point of difference is that Jonesia wants the petal wine]) 

 Macrolobium has. They are both equally variable in the Xo. of 

 stamina, and I think it questionable whether the want of petal is 

 a difference of generic value. Both ought certainly to be placed 

 in Decandria in place of their present absurd situations, and with 

 as good right as Bauhinia and many other genera. 



As I hence, so far, altered my plan of a fascicle, that it will 

 be a work of some time to complete it, I begin to think of getting 

 out all my plants of any consequence in other ways, which I may 

 at any time resume again in the fascicle, with the addition of 

 figures. You shall have whatever I can give in Pentandrias and 

 the other classes as you go on, and in the mean time I think of 

 giving some to the Linnean or other Societies at home. Do the 

 Asiatic deserve any i.e. will they bring them out in any decent 

 time ? I think for home, the best way will be to group them ; for 

 instance, I think of making one paper on the Leguminosa? that I 

 may have, in which the Macrolobia may come. I thought of 

 another on the Mangifera?, but my materials are not yet complete. 

 I shall send you what I have as it comes into print: I have 

 lately got two new ones besides my former M. quadrifida, and have 

 information of several others. One of these I have described as 

 M. cassia 233 (at least I think that shall be the name) which is a 

 very remarkable species. 



231. Neuropeltis is one of the Convolvulacea?, and it seems probable 

 that Jack had fonnd N. racemosa in Penang, whence Wallich also brought 

 it a few years later. But it seems extinct on the island now. 



232. Saroaca declwata, Mia. (Jonesia declinata, Jack in Malay. Misc., 

 ii. (1820) No. 7, p. 74). Miquel gives no other locality for it than 

 Bencoolen. 



233. The description of Mangifera caesia was sent to Wallich and 

 inserted by him in his and Carey's revision of Eoxburgh's Flora Indica r 

 ii. p. 441. 



Jour. Straits Branch 



