FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. 



Vernacular. Cahlara, Nelumbo-junma, Indeevura, Sans. Soondhi, 

 Neel-podma, Chota-shalook (a var.), Beng. Neety-kulwa, Tel. 

 Nil-tel-olu, Suda-tel-olu (white), Ruta-tel-olu (red), Ma-nel (pur- 

 ple), Cey. 



Habitat. Malabar, Coromandel, Tranguebar, Bengal. 



Remarks. This species includes N. cyanea, Rox. and 2V. vcrsicolor, 

 Rox. The latter is very like 2V. Lotus. N. stellata is the Citambel of 

 Van Rheede. 



N. O. 11. NELUMBIACE^E. WATER-BEANS. 

 Nelumbium speciosum. Will. Egyptian Lotus. 



Linn. Syst. Polyandria Polygynia. 



The root, stalk, and leaf, used as vegetables ; and the seed as a nut. 



Vernacular. Kamala, Pudma, Sans. Kummal, Pudum, Ambuj, 

 Kungwel, Lal-Kummul, Hind. Pudmapodoo, Komol, Ponghuj, 

 Beng. Neelofir, Sindh. Kungwel, Kungevelka, Dec. Tawmaray, 

 Tarn. Terra-tamaray, Tellani-pudmam, Tel. Tamara, Bem- 

 tamara, Mai. Nelun, Cey. Bakla-koobtee, Neelufir ? Pers. 



Habitat. India, Persia, Ceylon, Slam, Cochin-China, the Philip- 

 pines, and Moluccas (except Araboyua), China, Japan. 



Remarks. See " Drugs." The root is probably one Colocasia of the 

 ancients, and the seed one Faba jEgyptiaca. I'liny describes the Colo- 

 casia, b. xxi, ch. 15, and it is evident his account confuses two plants and 

 perhaps three, viz. an arum, and Nelumbium speciosum, and probably also 

 Nymphaa Lotus. In his chapter on beans (b. xviii. ch. 12) the " faba 

 in jEgypto" can be referred to more than one source, although where 

 he adds " nascens capite papaveris, colore roseo," he probably means by 

 these words 2V. speciosum. What we mean by the Egyptian bean goes 

 also by the name of Phythagorean, Coptic, and Pontic bean : and is said 

 to be the Hub-ul-killal of the Arabs, although that name is given iu 

 Bombay to Cherry-stones, and elsewhere also to Pomegranate pips. 2V. 

 speciosum is undoubtedly the Kplvea podois ep-fapea of Herodotus ; the Kva^os 

 aiyvirrios of Theophrastus and Dioscorides ; the Ao>r6s poftidovrbs of Athen- 

 reus ; the " Colocasia quam Cyamum aliqui vocant" of Pliny ; Nymph&a 

 indica major, and Taratti, Rumphius ; Nelumbo Zeylonensium, Tour- 

 nefort ; Cyamus mysticus, Salisbury ; Tamara, and Bem-tamara, Van 

 Rheede ; Nymphcea Nelumbo, Burmann ; Nelumbo, Hermann ; and 2Ve- 

 lumbo nucifera, Gsertner. 



In Bombay it blooms in the beginning of the rains, the flowers being 

 beautiful beyond all description, every lively hue of " celestial rosy red," 

 and milk white. 

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