270 STURTEV ant's NOTES ON EDIBLE PLANTS 



F. roxburghii Wall. 



Burnm and Himalayan regions. The fruit is eaten by the natives in their curries.' 



F. nunphii Blume. 



Himalayan regions and Malay. This is a large tree cultivated in the Darrang dis- 

 trict of Assam for rearing the lakh insect. The fruit is eaten.* 



F. sur Forsk. 



Mountains of Yemen. The fruit is edible.' 



F. sycomorus Linn, asses fig. sycomore. 



North Africa. The fruit is somewhat aromatic and is brought to the markets at 

 Cairo and is eaten throughout the entire East.^ The figs are sweet and delicate. They 

 were selected by the ancient Egyptians as the fruit given by the goddess Netpe to those 

 who were worthy of admission to the regions of eternal happiness.' 



Flacourtia cataphracta Roxb. Bixineae. puneala plum. 



East Indies. The puneala plum is a fruit of India, better in flavor than a sloe but 

 inferior to a poor plimi. It makes an excellent stew.' 



F. inermis Roxb. looy-looy. 



Moluccas. This species is cultivated in the Moluccas for its pleasant, edible fruit. 

 It is a little tree bearing a berry of reddish-purple color, the size of a small cherry and 

 has five angles.' The reddish-purple berries are of a pleasant, acid taste; they are called 

 tomi-tomi in India.* The fruit, called by the Malays koorkup, though rather too acid to 

 be eaten raw, is esteemed for tarts and pies.' In Ceylon, it is called by the natives lorn 

 lowi; by the English looy-looy. The fruit makes an excellent jelly, resembling and as 

 good as currant jelly, and is also used for tarts.'" 



F. montana J. Grah. 



East Indies. It is called attuck ka jhar. The fruit, the size of a crab apple, is eaten 

 by the natives." 



F. ramontchi L'Herit. batoko plum. Madagascar plum. 



East Indies, Malay and Madagascar. The fruit is of the size of a plum, of a sharp 

 but sweetish taste.'- It is common in the jungles of India. The fruit, when fully ripe, is 



' Wight, R. Icon. Pis. 2: PI. 673. 1843. {F. macrophylla) 



2 Brandis, t). Forest Fl. ^ly . 1874. (F. cordifolia) 



" Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Ph. 366. 1879. 



Unger, F. U. S. Pat. Off. Rpt. 344. 1859. 



' Figuier Veg. World 343. 1867. 



' Firminger, T. A. C. Card. Ind. 197. 1874. 



' Roxburgh, W. Pis. Corom. Coast 3:16. i8iq. 



' Firminger, T. A. C. Card. Ind. 197. 1874. 



'Hooker, W. J. Bot. Misc. 1:289. 1830. 

 " Hooker, W. J. Journ. Bot. 2:226. 1840. 

 " Pickering, C. Chron. Hist. Pis. 743. 1879. (F. rrenata) 

 ''Smith, J. Diet. Econ. Pis. 331. 1882. 



