PLANTS CULTIVATED FOR THEIR FRUITS. 201 



the multitude of varieties cultivated in these countries, 

 the number of ancient common names, in particular a 

 Sanskrit name, 1 its abundance in the gardens of Bengal, 

 of the Dekkan Peninsula, and of Ceylon, even in 

 Rheede's time. Its cultivation was less diffused in the 

 direction of China, for Loureiro only mentions its 

 existence in Cochin-China. According to Rumphius, 2 

 it had been introduced into certain islands of the 

 Asiatic Archipelago within the memory of living men. 

 Forster does not mention it in his work on the fruits of 

 the Pacific Islands at the time of Cook's expedition. 

 The name common in the Philippine Isles, 'manga, 8 

 shows a foreign origin, for it is the Malay and Spanish 

 name. The common name in Ceylon is ambe, akin to 

 the Sanskrit amra, whence the Persian and Arab amb* 

 the modern Indian names, and perhaps the Malay, 

 mangka,, manga, manpelaan, indicated by Rumphius. 

 There are, however, other names used in the Sunda 

 Islands, in the Moluccas, and in Cochin-China. The 

 variety of these names argues an ancient introduction 

 into the East Indian Archipelago, in spite of the opinion 

 of Rumphius. 



The Mangifera which this author had seen wild in 

 Java, and Mangifera sylvatica which Roxburgh had 

 discovered at Silhet, are other species ; but the true 

 mango is indicated by modern authors as wild in the 

 forests of Ceylon, the regions at the base of the Himalayas, 

 especially towards the east, in Arracan, Pegu, and the 

 Andaman Isles. 5 Miquel does not mention it as wild 

 in any of the islands of the Malay Archipelago. In 

 spite of its growing in Ceylon, and the indications, less 

 positive certainly, of Sir Joseph Hooker in the Flora of 

 British India, the species is probably rare or only 

 naturalized in the Indian Peninsula. The size of the 

 stone is too great to allow of its being transported by 



1 Roxburgh, Flora Tndico,, edit. 2, vol. ii. p. 435 ; Piddington, Index. 



2 Rumphius, Herb. Atnboin., i. p. 95. 



3 Blanco, Fl. Filip., p. 181. 4 Kumphius ; Forskal, p. cvii. 



5 Thwaites, Brawn. Plant. Ceyl., p. 75 ; Brandis, Forest Flora, p. 126 

 Hcoker, Fl. Brit. Ind., ii. p. 13 ; Kurz, Forest Flora Brit. Burmah, i. p 304. 



