i>o THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [July i, 1881 
the seeds, it would appear (so far as can be determined without flowers) to be a species of 
Payena. This is a valuable gift, as " the Gatah trees in Perak [as everywhere else] 
sufficiently large to produce the gum are now very rare, and very great difficulty arises in 
procuring' seeds or specimens." The young plants are growing vigorously in Peradeniya 
and Henarat^oda. The commercial necessity for a systematic cultivation of Gutta-percha 
yielding trees is rapidly becoming a pressing one. 
Cardamom, fyc— The cultivation of the Malabar variety of this condiment has con- 
siderably extended in Ceylon, being found to be highly profitable lately. Applications for 
roots and seeds have been so numerous as to be beyond our power to supply them, though 
a considerable increase to the space allotted to their cultivation has been made. Nutmegs, 
cloves, ginger, turmeric, vanilla, pepper, arrowroot, and other hot-country plants have 
also been distributed in considerable quantities. 
Ipecacuanha, — I cannot report much progress with this culture. Though readily 
enough propagated, the plants remain small, and even at Henaratgoda where they seed, 
make exceedingly slow growth both above and below ground. 
Timber trees. — Several applications have been made from India for seed of the 
Mahogany, from an erroneous idea that it is produced here abundantly. It may be therefore 
well to mention that the production of a ripe capsule is a rather rare event in Ceylon, 
though the tree flowers abundantly. It is to be regretted that a plan for the formation of 
a plantation of this valuable wood in the Southern Province has fallen through for want 
of funds. Our beautiful native woods, especially calamander, which is becoming very scarce, 
are also now calling urgently for protection, and I strongly advocate the formation with- 
out delay of Government plantations, under proper and efficient management. 
The following are some of the more interesting additions to the collections during 
the year : — 
DICOTYLEDONS. 
Calodefidron capense, Thunb. A handsome rutaceous tree. The wild chestnut of the Boers. 
Cape of Good Hope. 
Rhus rhodanthema, F. M. Queensland. Eemarkable in the genus for its large red flowers. 
Erythrina umbrosa, H. B. K. Native of Trop. S. America where it is called Bucare. The 
"Bois immortelle" of the W. Indies, 
E. velutina, Willd. Trop. S. America and W. Indies. Like the last, used to shade Cacao. 
E. Vesper tilio,~Rmt\i. Queensland. Remarkable for the shape of its leaves. 
Pterocarpus santalinus, Linn. f. Red Sanders wood. South India ; a rare and local tree. 
Copaifera officinalis, L. Central America.' One of the trees probably yielding the drug 
Copaiba. 
Bauhinia Vahlii, W. & A. Central India. A gigantic climber. 
Holarrhena pubescens, Wall. (var. of if antidysenterica. Wall.) The Kora of India. Used 
in native medicine for dysentery. 
Euphorbia resinifera, Berg. Morocco. Affordsthe gum Euphorbium of commerce. And 
other species of Euphorbia. 
Jatropha podayrica, Hook. Central America. A curious plant with bottle-shaped stem. 
Croton Eluteria, J. Benn. Bahamas. The source of Cascarilla bark. 
Brosimum Galaciodendron, Miq. The " Palo de Vaca " or cow tree of Venezuela. A large 
tree with a juice closely resembling animal milk, and used as an article of food. This, of 
which both seeds and plants have been safely transmitted from Kew, is an interesting 
addition to the garden. 
MONOCOTYLEDONS. 
Teysmannia altifrons, Zoll. & Reich, f. I have little doubt in referring to this species the 
seeds sent from Perak in June last by Mr. Low, and now growing well here. He describes 
this palm as the handsomest and most graceful imaginable, and it appears to be very 
local. Tei/smannia is only hitherto known from vSumatra, but from the description in 
Miquel's Flora must be almost certainly this Perak palm. Major McNair, R.A., informs 
me 1 hat it is called " Dauu Payong" (leaf umbrella) by the Malays, and it would appear to 
be the palm mentioned recently by Mr. Murton in the " Gardeners' Chronicle" under the 
name of" Duan Sang." 
Smilax officinalis, Kunth. New. Grenada. The source of " Jamaica" sarsaparilla. The 
plant figured in Bentley and*Trimen's Med. Plants, t. 289. 
