Page:Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1.djvu/245

Rh the first living authority Mr. Robert Brown. He says in a letter to Dr. Graham referring to the plant which has called forth these remarks, " In your plant the structure of the anther is indeed very remarkable and might well induce you to consider it a new genus; but it is right to add, that approaches to this structure, and which serve to explain its analogy with the ordinary structure of the family exist in Garcinia, with which I suppose your plant would agree in its female flower as well as in fruit." From this concluding caution I imagine that, before establishing a genus on such grounds, he (Brown) would have ascertained the structure of the anther in the whole order, marked its variations, and then, and not till then, have determined on the propriety or otherwise of assigning a generic value to its variations : and f can scarcely avoid thinking, that had such a course been followed in that instance a sectional value only would have been awarded. I confess that a less perfect examination of the order, than that which improved materials has now enabled me to effect, led me into a similar error, on which occasion, I proposed to subdivide the genus Garcinia into three distinct genera: Mangostana, Cambogia, and Stalagmitis (see Madras Journal of Science, vol. 4, page 304). This suggestion has not so far as I am aware been yet adopted by any one, and I trust it will not, as 1 now consider it wrong in principle, the variations in structure, there pointed out, not meriting a higher than sectional value in a genus so strictly natural. Influenced by this reduced estimate of the relative value of the several structural variations mentioned above, it is my intention on the present occasion to keep the old genus together, but divided into sections in accordance with them. I am induced to do so from observing that the variations are limited to the male flowers, and do not on any occasion extend to the female. For example G. Mangostana and G. cornea, are referred to the same section, the former has 4-8 celled ovaries, and the latter usually 4, in G. Kydiana, Roxburgh describes the berry as being from 4 to 8 seeded, G. cowa from 6 to 8, and most of the others are described as having as far as 4, or 8 seeds, showing a general want of uniformity in this respect, variations, therefore, of the number of the cells of the ovary, cannot be admitted as generic, or even specific value in this genus. Should further acquaintance with the tribe show- that in uniting Hebradendronor rather Cambogia, Lin. (for they are the same genus and the latter the more appropriate name) to Garcinia, I 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 Garcinia. 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, do not afford good discriminating characters, and when it does, is usually accompanied by others which are more to be relied upon.

The following is the arrangement which I propose for the distribution of the species of Garcinia.

Subgenus l. Mangostana. Male: Stamens 4-adelphous, androphores, thick and fleshy, covered on all sides with anthers. Ovary rudimentary, supporting a large capitate, glabrous, abortive, stigma. Female — Stamens few, irregularly fascicled, usually imperfect. Ovary 4-8, or 10-celled.

§ I. Anthers oblong, 2-celled, dehiscence, longitudinal introrse.

§ II. Anthers flattened above, -celled, dehiscing by a transverse slit.

Subgenus 2. Oxycarpus* Male: Stamens monadelphous, androphores short, thick, fleshy, placed in the centre of the flower, usually 4-sided, anthers numerous, sessile or sub-sessile, capitate, with or without a sterile pistil— Female : Stamens 12-20, frequently imperfect, fascicled or monadelphous, forming a ring round the base of the ovary — ovary superior, 4-8 or 10-celled.

§ I. Anthers 4- sided, with a polliniferous cell on each side.


 * Cambogia would have been the move appropriate name for this subgenus, but the original Cambogia gutta having recently been re-elevated to the rank of a genus under a new designation I have thought it better not to employ that name lest, abler Botanists differing in opinion from me, should think that species generically distinct from Garcinia, in which case, Linnaeus's name ought to be restored.