92 BOTANICAL INFORMATION. 
is nearly globose, and more like the usual form of a capsule, from 
which circumstance it has received the appellation of 
Corchorus capsularis; capsulis subglobosis depressis rugoso-muricatis 
glabris, foliis oblongis acuminatis serratis, serraturis infimis setaceis. 
Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 146. De Cand. Prodr. 1. p. 505. Wight, Ic. Pi. 
Ind. Or. 1, f.311. Ganja sativa, Rumph. Amb. 5, p. 78, f. 9. 
It is an annual plant, and a common weed in the East Indies, much 
cultivated in Bengal (Dr. Roxburgh says in China also) during the 
rains, for the fibres of its bark, of which the * gunny," or rice bags, 
&c., are made. Roxburgh gives the Bengalese name as “ Ghinalta 
pat." Tothis country, however, it is certainly imported under the more 
familiar name of Jute. Nevertheless, Dr. M‘Culloch, in the edition of 
his ‘ Commercial Dictionary ’ for 1846, says that “ Jute consists of the 
fibres of two plants, called chouch and isbund, Corchorus olitorius (the 
potherb above alluded to) and C. capsularis. These are extensively 
cultivated in Bengal, forming, in fact, the material of which gunny 
bags and gunny cloth are made. The fibre fetches nearly, though not 
quite, as high a price as Sunn (Crotalaria juncea). It comes into 
competition with flax, tow, and codilla, in the manufacture of stair and 
other carpets, bagging for cotton and various goods, and such like fabrics, 
being extensively used for those purposes in Dundee. But it is not 
suitable for cordage and other articles into which hemp is manufactured, 
from its snapping when twisted, and rotting in water. The quantities 
imported, and the prices, have fluctuated very greatly during the last 
dozen years ; but from £12 to £15 a ton appears to be a fair average. 
When first introduced into this country in 1815, the price of 
Jute varied from £35 to £40 a ton. It was then, however, very little 
.. known, and did not in fact begin to come into anything like general use 
- as bagging till 1827 or 28.” 
< Tab. ILE. Fig. 1. Capsule; 2, expanded flower —magnified. 
quence of the state of political 
Candolle has given in his resig- 
