Read April 15, 1817.
Having had the opportunity, during a long residence in India, of examining some plants, which had not, so far as I know, been previously described, and others which had been but incompletely so, I purpose to submit to the notice of the Linnean Society, in this and successive communications, such of them as appear deserving of remark, either as constituting new kinds, or notable species of previously settled genera.
Under the first head is a plant of which the delineation is here presented under the Indian name; as this seems not unsonorous, nor otherwise objectionable. In general it is desirable to avoid the coinage of new words, and to preserve existing names, whenever they are not too barbarous for admission into the classical nomenclature of botanical science. I propose therefore to retain the Indian term, scarcely altered, for a denomination of the genus; and accordingly to name it Sabia from the Hindi Sabja.
Under the second head, one of the most remarkable of the plants which will be here offered to the Society's consideration is a species of Strychnos, which bears much resemblance to that described and figured by M. Leschenault[1], and by him affirmed to be one of two which afford poison used to envenom weapons in
- ↑ Ann. du Mus. 16. p. 479. pl. 23.
Java,
