﻿6 MR. JOHN SCOTT ON THE TREE FERNS OF BRITISH SIKKIM. 



w 



appear to me very doubtfully distinct, and to merge into one another as they pass from 

 moister to drier habitats, so that they are with difficulty separable. 



Economic Vses.—l:h.Q central cellular parts of the stems of three species of the Sikkim 

 tree ferns are eaten by the Lepchas in times of scarcity, when other and wore palatable 

 food cannot be obtained ; and when their favourite "mur\\ ah" fails them, they extract from 

 the tree ferns also a similarly intoxicating drink. Tlie preparatory process is as follows ; 

 and the species used are Cyathea sjpimilosa, Alsophila corriosa, and A. Andersoni, They 

 first strip the caudex of its hardened rind-like substance and the woody laminae, and then 

 cut and slice into small pieces the central ceUular interior, which they then boil for an 

 hour, apparently with the view of expelling the tannic and gallic acids, whicli are always 

 more or less present, and then steep in cold water for about twenty-four hours, when it 

 is placed on a plantain or other large leaf and thoroughly dried in the sun, so as to pre- 

 serve it as required for use. Some eight or ten days previous to its being required it is 

 mixed and fermented with about one third of its bulk of boiled rice, when, as in the case 

 of the "murwah," it is placed in the joint of a bamboo, filled up with warm water, and 

 sucked through the slender branchlets of a bamboo. This moisture is called by the 

 Lepchas " rucksliie," and is said to be even more intoxicating than the murwah, though 

 they much prefer that. It is therefore chiefly used (as Mr. Mimro, of the Cinchona 

 plantations, Poomang, informs me) in the early part of the rainy season, when their old 

 murwa grain is done, and their new unripe. It is noteworthy that they will not eat nor 

 extract the »ruckshie» from the cellular matter of the Alsophila contaminant, var. 

 £runoniana, though it is entirely free from the woody bundles, which are the only reason 

 they assign for not using the Alsophila latebrosa and glabra. They assure me that the 

 pulpy matter of A. contaminans, var. Brunoniana, when eaten, causes nausea, vomiting, 

 and purgmg, with griping and distention of the stomach. Such at least is the account 

 given me by our Lepcha plant-coUectors and one or two other of their sirdars : anyhow 

 It must possess some noxious quality or another ; otherwise the Lepcha would not trouble 

 Welf by a hiU-ascent of some 4000 feet for A, comosa, when he might have an abun- 

 dance of the other species in proximity to his dwelling. The Angiopteris evecta is 

 anothor species used for food by the Lepchas, much as they would a yam, by slicing and 



tte air f r. ' "'T" '"' --^-— e in which the interior of the caudex, 

 du W f ^P;: f ^'^, appendages is of a light pinky red, and the other in which it is a 



th rent "t ; " f " '^""^'"^^ ^^"^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ P---^ -y differences, so 



^ZXt^^ ': ^''""'^ *^^- ^-- ^^- -^-y^ - only distingdsh 



the two by cuttmg the caudex. I may remark, however, that these colour-differences 



The red variety i^ calfbvtT'T' T''"''' '''^' ^" ^^^^^ ^^^ ^1^ individuals, 

 ar n 1 : 1^ ^T"^^ ".^^-^-<' '^^ -^te " Tuckvo-o-do-om." There 



intermixed 





few otliers of the dwarfer and suhaAorescent species of w1i,V>, ti 

 fronds as regetaHes in their curries Itr 7?.,/ ; T I ^^^^ ^^ ^^"^ y°™ 



luxuriant in many part of sTkZ' J ,^'' ?"'*««/«««i^«''«. which is exceeding 



similarly used, as noS h; D Hook t^Z^ f", '''' *° '''' ^^^ -— " 



had in Scotland in olden tiLs t^ , ^ilT:£l tT 'T'''''' ^^ '^"""'' 



J o Virtues ascribed to it; and on certain days the 



more 



