291- JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, 1890. 



Vedic times to frighten away evil spirits ; it is still known in Hindi 

 as Bajguriya or " Baja beads." Another name for it is Ghargunaru, 

 which signifies a string of ankle bells, such as. are worn by dancing 

 girls. These bells have vertical slits in them, resembling the white 

 vertical stripes on the globular fruit of this plant. In Marathi it is 

 called Kavale-che-dok, " crow's eyes." Towards the end of the rains 

 it is common on hedges, and may be found on Malabar Hill. The 

 fruit is about the size of a marble, red when ripe, with dead white 

 vertical stripes. The Dutch, according to Rheede, call it Stiffen, and 

 the Portuguese Nltola. Mukia scabretta is a very similar plant, but 

 with fruit about the size of a pea and marked in the same manner. 

 It is called Chirati in Marathi. The Sanskrit name Ghantali 

 (Ghanta-dli, a row of bells) appears to be applied to both of these 

 plants, as well as the name AlnJekhana, " marked like a snake." 



Zehneria umbeltata (in Marathi Gomefta) is also a very common 

 plant on hedges, with oval red fruit about the size of a pigeon's egg. 

 The tubers are used medicinally by the natives as an ingredient in 

 Paushtiks, " strengthening confections." The Dutch call this gourd 

 Karlingen, and the Portuguese Pepinho do pata, " Goose's cucumber." 

 The tubers of Bhyncocarpa fcetida are used in the same way ; it may 

 be distinguished by its ovoid, rostrate fruit. 



Corallocarpus epigcea and G. conocarpa much resemble one another, 

 with slender climbing stems, lobed leaves, very small flowers, and 

 beaked fruit. The root is an enormous tuber, sometimes weighing as 

 much as five or six pounds, and shaped like a turnip. It is medicinal, 

 and is sold in the Bombay bazars under the Guzerathi name of 

 Kadvi-nai. These plants are called Swalinga and Mahadeva in 

 Marathi,* and iu Sanskrit, Chhilihinda, Patala-garuda and Mahamula 

 or " great root." 



Zanonia indica is only found in the Southern Konkan. It has a 

 curiously-shaped fruit like a candle extinguisher, which the Por- 

 tuguese call Fruita bandoliera from its resemblance to the leather 

 cases called bandoleers each containing a charge of powder of which 

 every musketeer wore twelve suspended by a shoulder belt. The 

 Dutch name is Naet-ktiin. .In Sanskrit and Marathi it is called 

 Chirpofa, and is used medicinally. 



* Iu allusion to the form of the fruit 



