ON  THE  SOURCE  OF  BALSAM  OP  PERU. 
299 
3.  The  plant  of  Lamarck,  sent  by  Jos.  Jussieu,  which  he 
designated  as  Myroxylon  pedicellatum, 
4.  The  plant  of  Ruiz,  called  by  Lambert  the  Myroxylon 
Peruiferum. 
It  is  with  reference  to  these  plants  that  we  are  to  determine 
whether  the  one  now  under  consideration,  and  described  by 
Pereirain  his  second  paper,  is  a  new  species  or  not ;  and 
it  may  be  proper,  previously  to  discussing  this  question, 
to  present  the  opinions  of  those  who  have  examined  the 
subject.  With  reference  to  the  plants  enumerated,  Sir  J.  E. 
Smith  regarded  the  Mutis-Linnseanwplant  as  distinct  from  M. 
frutescens,  Jacquin,  and  M.  pedicellatum,  Lamarck ;  according 
to  him,  therefore,  it  stood  as  an  original  species,  and  was  fully 
entitled  to  be  retained  as  such.  Kunth,  on  the  other  hand,  re- 
garded it  as  distinct  from  the  M.  frutescens,  but  identical  with 
the  M.  pedicellatum.     De  Candolle  has  taken  the  same  ground. 
Lambert  supposed  he  was  only  presenting  to  the  world  the 
Mutis-Linnsean  plant  in  a  more  extended  and  definite  way.  It 
is  now  clear  that  the  M.  frutescens  is  distinct  from  Myroxylon 
Peruiferum,  Linn.,  from  the  M.  Peruiferum,  Lambert  and  Ruiz, 
and  that  it  is  different  from  the  M,  pedicellatum  of  Lamarck. 
With  regard  to  the  identity  or  otherwise  of  the  M.  Peruiferum 
Linn.,  and  the  M.  pedicellatum,  Lam.,  as  assumed  by  Kunth  and 
D.  C,  we  shall  not  now  open  the  discussion.  The  question  then 
resolves  itself  into  the  identity  of  the  Mutis-Linngean  and  Lam- 
bert plants,  and  the  agreement  of  Pereira's  plant  with  one  or 
both  of  these. 
With  regard  to  the  identity  of  the  two  first,  it  has  been  stated 
that  Kunth  and  De  Candolle  have  regarded  them  as  distinct, 
retaining  the  name  Myrospermum  Peruiferum  for  the  Mutis- 
Linnsean  plant,  and  giving  to  the  Lambert  and  Ruiz  plant  the 
name  Myrospermum  pubescens,  while  with  the  first  M.  pediceL 
latum  is  given  as  a  synonym,  (D.  C.  Prodrom.,  vol.  2,  p.  95.) 
The  points  of  difference  are,  the  branches  and  petioles  of  the 
latter  are  hairy,  the  leaflets  being  narrower,  more  oblong  and 
more  rarely  cordiform  at  base,  and  the  nerves  and  petioles  all 
closely  covered  with  red  hair.  Admitting  that  these  are  dis- 
tinctions enough  to  separate  the  two  species,  and  without  going 
into  the  disquisition  with  respect  to  their  being  only  varieties  of 
