“SOLANACE®. "563 
—-Vernacular.—Mirch, Lal-mirchs Gach-mirch (Hind.), Mirchi, 
Tambari-mirchi, Mir-singha (Mar.), Milagay (Tam.), Mirapa- 
‘kéya (Tel.), Kappal-melaka (Mal.), Menashina-kaya (Can.); 
‘Lél-morich, Lanka-morich (Beng.), Lal-mirch, Marchu (Guz.). 
a History, Uses, &c.—Clusius states that Capsicums 
were brought to India from Pernambuco by the Portuguese ; 
from India they were introduced into Germany, and finally 
reached England in 1595. The Spaniards were acquainted 
with the spice as early as 1494. Chanca, physician to the fleet 
‘of Columbus in his second voyage to the West Indies, notices 
‘them among the productions of Hispaniola as a condiment used 
by the natives under the name of Agi, which is still the com- 
mon name for them in Spanish. In Bnglish they were for- 
merly known as Guinea-pepper, and the Portuguese call them 
menta de Guiné. Chili is the Mexican name. (Pharmaco- 
phia.) In the Indian vernaculars there is no special name 
1 them, and they are not mentioned by any Sanskrit writers. 
Jp to the present time the cultivation of the plant is carried on 
gore extensively at Goa than at any other place in Western 
\dia, and .capsicums are well known in Bombay as Govaz- 
4, “Goa pepper.” The Arabs call the chillie Filfil-ahmar, 
d pepper,” in Persian it is F ilfil-i-surkh, which has the 
me meaning. Besides the two species commonly cultivated, 
everal varieties of 0. grossum are met with in India as 
ornamental plants in gardens ; they are mostly remarkable for 
the size of their fruit; which is almost or entirely devoid of 
\wency ; one variety, which has been named C. cerasiformis, 
globular fruit resembling a cherry. A yellow capsicum, 
ga peculiar flavour, has been introduced into India from 
, and from it is prepared a very highly esteemed Cayenne 
per. In India C. minimum, though common in many 
‘of the country as a weed of cultivation, is seldom used 
use | e 
Persians object to it. Medicinally the natives of 
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