[ 147 ] XI. A Commentary on the Fourth Part of the Hortus Malabaricus. By (the late) Francis Hamilton, M.D., F.R.S. and L.S. Read February 21st, and November 7th, 1826. Mao, seu Mau, p. 1. tab. 1 et 2. X HE word Mange, which, the author says, is the name of this tree among the Indians, is of Malay origin, and was introduced by Garcias ab Horto, Acosta, and other early writers. These absurdly applied the Mangka, or Manga, of the Malays to the fruit, and called the tree Mangifera, which has been copied by modern botanists, although Rumphius properly called the genus Manga. His specific name domestica has been changed with equal want of propriety ; for the name indica is equally applicable to every species of this genus. The Sanscrita name Amra, corrupted in the vulgar dialects of Gangetic India into Am, is the source of the word Ambo, used by the Brah-mans of Malabar. For one circumstance in Rheede's description I cannot account ; and, as there can be no doubt that he knew the tree perfectly, and meant to describe it, this circumstance must be attributed to one of those errors into which even the most accurate are liable to fall. He says, "folia bina, terna, aut quatema simul ex eodem pediculo ramulis inhaerent" This, converted into Lin-nsean language, would imply that they are folia composita ; but this is per-fectly erroneous. Another error, respecting the stamina, induced Linnaeus to place this tree in the class Pentandria. Rheede says, flores — quinque intiis alhicantibusjibris,jlavescentibus apicibus dotatis — prcediti. Now in ninety-nine flowers out of a hundred only one filament has an anthera, and I have never observed one flower in which all the five stamina were complete. Ada maram, p. 5. tab. 3 et 4. Maram annexed to Ada signifies tree ; the Malabar name therefore is Ada, VOL. XVII. X
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