names. 



76 " ROTTLERA TINCTORIA." 



1858. The fruit of the tree is tricoccous and of the size of a pea, covered 



Fruit of on the outer surface with minute, sessile, roundish, semi-trans- 



liottlcra. p arent gi anc [ 8 O f a bright red colour. According to Roxburgh 



the fruit ripens in February and March, at which period it is 



gathered, and the red, glandular powder is carefully brushed off 



and preserved for use. 



Before further describing this substance, I may properly 

 advert to the names by which it and the tree affording it are 

 known to the natives of India ; for some information on which 

 part of the subject I am indebted to the kindness of Professor 

 H. H. Wilson, of Oxford. 



Indian The Sanskrit name of Rottlcra tinctoria is tf^TT Punnaga, a 

 word having several synonyms, among which are WJT Tunga and 

 9jflffft Kesora ; hence in Bengali we have Punndg, Kesor and 

 Tung, and in Hindustani Punndg. 



The red powder from the capsules is called in Bengali 

 Kdmald, abbreviated to Kdmal. The Sanskrit word 

 Kapila, signifying tawny or dusky red, would appear to be also 

 applied to it. In the Tamil language the substance in question 

 is termed Kapilapodi, a name compounded of the Sanskrit 

 Kapila and the Tamil (SuiTU^. Podi, the latter word meaning 

 the pollen of a flower, or dust in general. 



Vasantagandha, a Sanskrit word meaning spring-fragrance, 

 is, according to Roxburgh, a designation in the Teliuga or Telugu 

 language of the same red powder. In the bazaar at Aden, it 

 is known as an article of trade under the name of _ . Waras, 

 a word properly signifying saffron. It is probable, however, 

 that this term has been given by the Indian Mohammedans, 

 and is not used as a designation of the powder elsewhere. 



The Hindustani name Kdmald has, with slight variations in 

 spelling, been adopted by the Europeans in India, and I shall 

 therefore employ it (omitting the accents indicating the long 

 quantity of the vowels) as the most convenient term by which 

 to designate the red powder derived from the capsules of Eottlcra 

 tinctoria. 



