PLANTS CULTIVATED FOR THEIR STEMS OR LEAVES. 131 



diistan, in Bengal, in Southern China, in the Philippine 

 Islands,^ generally in Southern Asia. Forster does not 

 mention it in his work on the plants in use among the 

 inhabitants of the Pacific, whence it may be inferred 

 that at the time of Cook's voyages, a century ago, its cul- 

 tivation had not spread in that direction. It may even 

 be suspected from this fact that it does not date from a 

 very remote epoch in the isles of the Indian Archipelago. 



Blume says that Corchorus capsidaris grows in the 

 marshes of Java near Parang,^ and I have two speci- 

 mens from Java which are not given as cultivated.^ 

 Thwaites mentions it as " very common " in Ceylon.^ 



On the continent of Asia, authors speak more of it 

 as a plant cultivated in Bengal and China. Wight, who 

 gives a good illustration of the plant, does not mention 

 its native place. Edgeworth,^ who has studied on the 

 spot the flora of the district of Banda, says that it is 

 found in " the fields." In the Flora of British India, 

 Masters, who drew up the article on the Tiliacese from 

 the herbarium at Kew, says " in the hottest regions of 

 India, cultivated in most tropical countries." ^ I have 

 a specimen from Bengal which is not given as cul- 

 tivated. Loureiro says "wild, and cultivated in the 

 province of Canton in ChinaJ which probably means 

 wild in Cochin-China, and cultivated in Canton. In Japan 

 the plant grows in cultivated soil.^ In conclusion, I am 

 not convinced that the species exists in a truly wild state 

 north of Calcutta, although it may perhaps have spread 

 from cultivation and have sown itself here and there. 



G. capsidaris has been introduced into various parts 

 of tropical Africa and even of America, but it is only 

 cultivated on a large scale for the production of jute 

 thread in Southern Asia, and especially in Bengal. 



* Rumphius, Amhoin, vol. v. p. 212; Roxburgh, Fl. Lid., ii. p. 5S1; 

 Loureiro, Fl. Cochinchine, vi. p. 408. 



* Blume, Bijdmrjen, i. p. 110. ^ Zollinger, Xos. 1G98 and 27GI. 



* Thwaites, Eiium. PL Zeylan., p. 31. 



* Edgeworth, LinncBan Soc. Journ., ix. 



* Masters, in Hooker's Fl. Brit, hid., i, p. 307, 

 ' Loureiro, Fl. Cochin., i. p. 408. 



8 Franchet aud Savatier, I^nurti'^ i. P. 69. 



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