from the Kingdom of Nepal. 409 



viiice bordering Kumaon to the east. Roxburgh [I.e.) describes 

 Amomum aromaticum, Morang Elachi, as a native of the valleys 

 on the eastern frontier of Bengal, with an ovate capsule, the 

 size of a large nutmeg ; those of Doti are much smaller. 



" Singgiya Bikh or Bish (of the lower mountains and hills, 

 p. 98), much celebrated among the mountaineers. The plant 

 was brought to me in flower, but was entirely male ; nor did I 

 see the fruit, which is said to be a berry. So far as 1 can judge 

 from these circumstances, I suppose that it is a species of Smilax 

 with ternate leaves. To pass over several of its qualities that 

 are marvellous, the root, which resembles a yam, is said to be a 

 violent poison. The berries also are said to be deleterious, but 

 when applied externally are considered as a cure for the goitre," 

 p. 87. 



No. 2219. Smilax? virosa. Singgiya Bish vel Bikh monta- 

 norum, Hindice. Habitat in Nepalse montibus. Identified by 

 Wallich with No. 5099 of his Catalogue, Dioscorea virosa, which 

 Dr. Royle informs us occurs also in Garhwal and Sirmur under 

 the name of Ramberee (the divine Zizyphus). It is remarkable 

 in this genus from having its stems furnished with aculei ; and 

 Dr. Royle calls our attention to the fact that this species, with 

 T). triphylla, pentaphylla, and d<2mona, all with compound leaves, 

 are distinguished by the acridity of their tubers*. Singgiya a 

 Bikh, signifying ' horned poison,^ alludes to their curved form 

 in D. virosaf. 



No. 220. Smilax ? narcotica. Bharbang montanorum, Hin- 

 dice. Habitat in Nepala inferiore ad montium radices. 



This is identified by Wallich with the preceding. 



* Roxburgh (iii, 806) and Graham (Cat. of Bombay Plants, p. 218) agree 

 that the tubers of D. pentaphylla are wholesome, and used as an esculent. 

 Graham tells us that the root of D. triphylla, " intoxicating and intensely 

 bitter," is often sliced and infused in toddy to render it more potent. It 

 occurs in Kumaon as high as 6000 feet ; D. dcemona, with equally nauseous 

 tubers, only reaches to 3000. 



The root Charmaghas, so often mentioned in the Sanscrit dictionaries, 

 has not been identified. I found it sold at Barmdee by the Nepalese 

 traders ; but my specimens were destroyed by the ' Fish insect,' Lepisma 

 saccharina, the scourge of our Indian libraries and herbaria. It may be the 

 Sham, or root of Chcsrophyllum esculentum, mentioned in Royle's ' Illus- 

 trations,' which is probably the Chamaas, " a wild edible root used as a 

 relish" by the people of Rol, near the Shatul Pass, Basehar (Lloyd and 

 Gerard, i. 293). The S. ndlika implies a plant with a tubular stem : sap- 

 tald, having seven leaves. 



t The vernacular Sing, *a horn,' softened from the Sanscrit Sringa, gives 

 the origin of the Arabic and Persian word for ginger, Zinjabil, from which 

 the Greek Zingiberis is derived. The common source of all is the Sanscrit 

 Sringaveram, signifying ' antler-shaped ;' and it is remarkable that this 

 classical name, as well as that (Nulada) from which the ancients formed 

 their term (Nardos) for spikenard, is no longer used in the Indian dialects, 

 being superseded by some of the many synonyms. 



