234 Mr. White's Description and Natural History 



of the upper border of the corolla, presents a most delicate con- 

 trast. 



The shortness of its roots may relate to some hidden properties 

 of its organic oeconomy ; or these may be compensated by the 

 greater proportion of the leaves, absorbing more copiously from 

 the air, and thus contributing to the formation of that elaborate 

 essence which we so much admire in the perfect spice. 



It may be expected that we should give some account of the 

 name and the history of its commerce. 



In Botany, the history and origin of names.are so far useful, 

 as they are immediately or remotely connected with the elucida- 

 tion of the subject in question, the indication of its virtues, or the 

 nation who first introduced its use, and the channels, if an article 

 of trade, through which it first flowed to civilized countries. 



In Malabar, the native soil of its best species, it is simply 

 named Ela, or Ela-tari and Ela-channa; the former addition signi- 

 fying a young plant, the latter a full-grown one. The word 

 channa includes also some congeners, one of which, Poi&n- 

 channa, is so like the real Cardamom in appearance and foliage, 

 as with difficulty to be distinguished by these marks only. 



The ripe pod is styled exclusively Ela-tari, ari in Malabar 

 signifying any small grain : e. g. ari rice, mout-ari natcheny or 

 rasgee. 



Indiscriminately they also say Ela-kai, the last word being of 

 general application to all kinds of perfect roots and seeds. In 

 Sanskrit, the most common appellative is Ela. The synonyms are 

 no fewer than 10, viz. ^lum* JValakum, Mailayum, Songani, Hart 

 Walakum, IValeyiegum, Moukana, Kouna, Kounara, Agni-jivala, 



* My authority tells me that Elum is the castts rectus or nominative here, and that it 

 becomes varied into Ela in the oblique inflections, or when annexed to other words 

 which govern it. The same grammatical variation is also observed in the Malabar language. 



Moudriwadine. 



