1839] Sialagmitis Gambngioides, ami Laurus Ca&sia. 



125 



formity in this respect : variations, therefore, of the number of the cells of 

 the ovary, cannot be admitted as of generic, or even specific value in this 

 genus. Should further acquaintance with the tribe show that, in uniting 

 Hebradendron or rather Cambogia, Linn, (for they are the same genus, 

 and the latter the more appropriate name) to Garcinia, 1 have erred, 

 the error can be easily corrected, and, in the mean time, my sections will 

 afford the means of more easily determining the known species, and of 

 referring to convenient places such new ones as may be discovered. For 

 the present, nothing is more difficult than to make out from description 

 the species of Garcmia. This is mainly owing to the male flowers, 

 which afford by far the best specific characters, being too little attended 

 to in characterizing them. Generally speaking, they are dioicous, and, 

 in collecting specimens, care should be taken to procure them of both 

 sexes. The foliage, except in a very few instances, does not afford good 

 discriminating characters, and when it does, is usually accompanied by 

 others which are more to be relied upon." 



My reasons for objecting to Dr. Graham's new name, to the prejudice 

 of LinnaBus' old one, is thus briefly explained at page 125 under Garcinia 

 Cambogia and Roxhurghii. 



" I have not quoted Linnsus' Cambogia Gutta for either of these, 

 though it seems the general opinion of botanists that it belongs to the 

 former. This opinion, however, his brief description of the plant before 

 him in the Flora Zeylanica, shows to be erroneous, and proves almost to 

 demonstration that it is Dr. Graham's Hebradendron. The fol- 

 lowing are his words — Rami ojjpositi. Folia lanceolato-ovata, integerri- 

 ma, petio^ata, oppos'ita. Flores verticillati sessiJes. It is in truth the 

 only plant of the genus in Ceylon, having sessile verticelled flowers* 

 In his generic character he describes the anthers, anthercs subrotundce, 

 the pistil germe7i svbroturidum-striatum, stylus, nullus. Stigma qnadrl- 

 Jiduntj persistent, and finally, the pericarp — Pomuyn subrotundum, octies 

 >-iULcaiam, octoloculare~^]:L:j''^ng clearly that the character of the flower 

 and ovary is taken from one species, and of the fruit from a diflferent, 

 (or perhaps from Rheede's figure) owing to the imperfection of his spe- 

 cimens, and his not being aware that the lobes of the stigma afford a sure 

 indication of the number of cells of the fruit. His Cambogia, however, 

 barring this error, is certainly the Gamboge plant of Ceylon, which is fur- 

 ther established, as Dr. Graham informs us, by the examination of the 

 specimen in Herman's herbarium, "which may be considered the type 

 of Linnaeus' Cambogia gutta.^' — If, therefore, that plant is to be elevated 

 to the rank of a genus, I should say his name ought unquestionably to be 

 retained with an amended character, and botany relieved from the un- 



