ON THE GAMBOGE TREE OF CEYLON. 
29 
his specimen for examination. His flowers were further 
advanced than mine, and on my requesting him to steep one, 
he sent me drawings which it is impossible to distinguish from 
those taken from the Ceylon plant. It is unfortunate that we 
do not know the female flowers in either species ; and yet, if 
I do not misunderstand Mrs. Walker, or if she is not mis- 
taken, which is less likely, the Ceylon plant is monaecious. 
It is very certain that the tree of Ceylon yields a Gamboge, 
fit for all the purposes of that from Siam, and equal to it in 
quality, though from the process by which it is prepared for 
the market not being so perfect, its appearance is less attrac- 
tive, and the price must be depreciated till that process is im- 
proved. At present, however, we have no direct testimony 
as to the tree which affords the Gamboge of Siam. Its being 
the same with that which in Ceylon yields this substance may 
be doubted. It is perhaps, and more probably, a nearly allied 
species of the same genus ; this affinity appearing from the ex- 
periments of Dr. Christison, showing all but an identity of 
chemical composition in the product, and from their medicinal 
effects being precisely the same, as has been proved in Cey- 
lon, and in this country, both by Dr. Christison and myself. 
It seems probable, from some parts of the description in the 
Flora Indica, and the quality of the Gamboge yielded by it, 
that Garcinia pictoria, Roxb., may prove to be another spe- 
cies of this genus ; but in this conjecture I must be wrong, if 
Buchanan is correct in considering this the same as Oxycar- 
pus Indica (Encycl. Method. Suppl. 4. 257.) I think, how- 
ever, Buchanan is mistaken, for he deems it, at the same time, 
synonymous with Garcinia Indica of Choisy, and with "Ar- 
bor Indica Gummi guttam fundens," &c. of Burmann ; while, 
in fact, the specimen in his Herbarium, from which he makes 
these references (No. 1118) is Garcinia cornea. The loca- 
lity where Garcinia pictoria is found (Wynaad) being limit- 
ed, and the tree having been, formerly at least, well known at 
Tellicherry, it is probable that specimens may be procured to 
ascertain the fact. 
