the Indians, o f its having been the Paradifiacal tree, and that iir
continued the food o f the wife men, or the Brahmins, as i f it
was fuppofed to ftill have, the power oL imparting wifdom to»
thofe who fed on its fruits. Idnnaus. gives the name of Mu.sa\
fapientum, Frew's Ehret± tab. 21, 22* 23, to another fpecies, with«,
a fhorter fruit. By the trivial he feems to think this to.have
been the. tree of: knowlege: but to decide on the important;
difpute is far-beyond my abilities..
Qphioxyiohv Serpcntinum,— v\\. .tab. 16,is a-pl'ant o f moft: potent virtues,,
as an alfexipharmic, . and .has been fpoken.of. before.-
Orientalis,— iv. tab. 61, is-the Rojfu, the bark of, fifhermen,.
from its great.ufe in. dying their nets,,and. giving them.durability.
Efodofdy. W. Bigemina. M. Ebitada, Jacq. Ain. 265,. tah. 183..
M. Scandens, Rumpb. v.-tab. 4. M. Vizgxita, Burman. Zeyl. tab..
2. M. Cdjia, F.l. Zeyl. p. 217. M. Pennatay Butman. Zeyl. tab. I,,
a moft. elegant fpecies,, with the flowers- branching on the
fummit in the lighteft manner- M. Fenuifolia, Syjl. PL iv. 353..
Indica, Rumpb. Amboin. iii. tab. 84.. I. have, at page 2075,
quite out o f courfe, . anticipated the account of: this wonderful;
fpecies, perhaps through zoological partiality-
Religiofa is perhaps the Arbor concijiorum- of: Rumpbius, iiii
tab. 91, 92, Arcalu, Rbeed- Malabar, i-tab. 271 This is alfo a;
very lingular kind ; the body rude to the high eft degree, as if'
formed o f the accretion of many trunks, angular, and in many
places cavernous. The branches fpread out moft extenfively on
the'fldes, grow acrofs, interwoven with each other, and'often
growing
Celti*. .
M imosa.
ficusgrowing
together, fó that the whole has the appearance of
fome LitbodenSron: the leaves of a pleafant green, and placed
ft> clofely, as to form the thickeft fhade: the fruit fmall and
round, o f a faint tafte,,but are quickly devoured by the birds.
T his treehas been venerated in India from the earlieft times;
The god tow , charmedwith its grotefque-appearance, direaed*
that woribip fhould' be paid to if. The fuperftition has been
retained to this day; It- is called1 the Pagod tree', and tree o f
councils; the firft. from the idols placed under its- fliade ; the
fecond, Becaufe meetings were held under-its coot branches.. In.
fbme pl&ees i f is believed to be the haunt of fpeftresj- as - the
antiént fpreading oaks o fWales have been of fairies: brothers
are erefted, beneath the lhadc, pillars of- ñones,, or-poift, de>-
gantly carved^ and ornamented with the moft beautiful porcel-
lane, to fdppty the ufe- of mirrors- Near. Fanjpre is one of a.
moft prodigious fi£e-
C R y p t o o a m i a ;-
I s h a l e avoid fpeaking Of the Cryptogo. mous, except to iu-
ftance two or three particularanecies, as this clafs is. generally
too uninterefting to-merif attention.
Circinaiis,—i, tab. .s i , 22-, to « HiJI. PI.' ii. 136a; El. Zeyl. Cycaa
n ” 393s Kampf. Aman. Abad. p. 897, is a curious genus, related
to the palms. Writers differ, ab'ouf the height; toy, from the
Hórt: Malab. gives it tliat; o f forty feet *. Rumpbius1 i. p.' 86.
tab. xxii. xxiii. makes the utmoft- h eighf but twenty-four,: and
paoft ufually twelve. The male plant flings out' from the.fum-
* Hift. PI. ii* 136'or
mit