Discussion on the Origin of Varieties. 241 



Ternate, lemo Java. In both these places lemo is a 

 generic term for citrus, and the word may be no other 

 than a modification of the Malay lemon, by dropping 

 the n. 



As I have stated in the chapter on the lima, there is 

 a suspicion that the true lime had its birth as a new 

 seedling variety in the Malay archipelago, and that not 

 improbably its remote wild ancestor was the C. hystrix. 

 Rumphius' Limo aurarius, a very small kaghzi nimboo, 

 with the large winged petiole of its not improbable 

 ancestor the same C. hystrix is, in my opinion, very 

 suggestive. In Rumphius' time this variety (kaghzi 

 nimboo, pr true lime) found only in cultivation every- 

 where, was " vulgatissimus et usitatissimus," and used 

 for all sorts of purposes in food, medicine, and in the 

 arts. Moreover it was one of the kinds, owing to its 

 keeping quality, which was taken on long sea voyages, 

 and its seeds germinated very readily, even if dropped 

 on the ground. What wonder, therefore, is it that it 

 may have found its way to India by means of traders 

 sailing up the coast of the Malay peninsula, and 

 Burmah, and eventually to Bengal ; bringing with it its 

 name of lemo afterwards changing into lemboo, limboo, 

 and nimboo. There is evidence of a very ancient 

 trade between the Malay archipelago and India (vide 

 Appendix, No. 40). In addition to this lemo, which 

 is common to both places, I have discovered two other 

 words which are common to the Malay archipelago and 

 India, viz., Capas cotton ; in Macassar this kaghzi 

 nimboo is called lemo capas, from its being of the size 

 of a cotton pod ; and cassomba Rumphius says this is 

 a dye made from the "Carthamus tinctorius," which is 

 the kussumb of India, and the pummelo from its red 

 colour, in Malay is called lemon cassomba. 



Either Rumphius or others may have also latinized 



R 



