J22 



Remarlcs on Cambog'/a Gutf.a, 



consideration by the Ceylon Government. Adopting the s^juie course on 

 this occasion, I shall commence my present remarks with the Guttifera?. 



In the 13th number of the Madias Journal of Science I published 

 some observations on the genera of this order, elicited by a communicati- 

 on of Dr. Graham respecting the Gamboge plant of Ceylon. In that 

 paper I showed that the genera Garcinia and Camhogm of Linneeus 

 were the same, and that Stalagmltis of Murray was, so far as could be 

 ascertained from characters only, identical with Roxburgh's Xanthochy- 

 mils. Conceiving the genus Garcinia too complex I there proposed sub- 

 dividing it. The following extract will explain the views 1 then en- 

 tertained. 



In my opinion the genus Garcinia, as now constituted, ought not to 

 be retained ; a glance at the accompanying figures will explain my 

 reasons for thinking so, by exhibiting in one view several of the incon- 

 gruities which it presents. For example, the Garcinia mangostanay 

 speciosa, and cornea, have the filaments of the male flow'er united, form- 

 ing four large fleshy bodies covered with anthers, and two of the three 

 are known to have a globose, not sulcated fruit. These might form the 

 type of a genus under Rumphius' original name Marigostana. G. Cam- 

 hogia, has the stamens of the male flower ranged in a single row,* round 

 a disk-like receptacle, with a sulcated fruit. This might form the type 

 of a second genus, for which, as nearly corresponding with the character 

 assigned by Linnaeus to his Garcinia, lhat name might be retained. In 

 G. Kydia, Zeylanica, pedunculata, paniculata and offinis, the filaments 

 are united into a staminal column, terminating in a head covered with 

 anthers, fruit usually farrowed. These might form a third genus, re- 

 taining for them the nov/ vacant name of Camhogia : and lastly, G. picto- 

 ria, Roxb. {Mangost. morella Gsert?); eliijJiicaWsiW. {fid. Graham) and 

 Dr. Graham's Ceylon plant, would form a fourth, distinguished by their 

 united filaments, and cup-shaped, one-celled, circumscissile, anthers ; 

 for which the now vacant name, Stalagmitis, might be retajiied, in pre- 

 ference to disturbing Roxburgh's Xanthocnylfni's, now well established," 

 by rigidly enforcing the rale of priority, and restoring that of Murray, 

 thereby causing considerable confusion in the synonymy, that might thus 

 be easily avoided." 



Since the publication of that article much additional light has been 

 thrown on the subject through the publication by Dr. Graham of Edin- 

 burgh, in the 2d volume of the Companion to the Botanical Magazine, of 

 a paper entitled "Remarks on the Gamboge tree of Ceylon and char- 



* This I now find is an error; Roxburgh, when he prepared the figure of his Garcinia 

 Camhogia, was unacquainted with the male flower, and only represents thebi-se\ual one. 



