79* On three varieties of Corchorus capsularis^ Linn., 



which are eaten* 



By I. H. BuRKiLL and K S. Finlow. 



One result of our study of jute tas been the re-discovery 

 of Buchanan-Hamilton's Corchorus Marua^ which, as it is only a 

 variety of C- capstdari^y we shall call (). capstclaris^ var., Mama. 

 We publish in the following pages some notes upon it and upon 

 other allied comestible forms of G. capsularzsy together with 

 figures of their characteristic leaves. 



Corchorus capsularis^ var. Marua^ was found by Buchanan- 

 Hamilton on June 30th, 1309, at Gongachora, some ten miles 

 north of Rangpur, He collected two specimens now preserved at 

 the Linnean Society's rooms in London, where they were exam- 

 ined and decided to be (7. cajpsnlaris by Dr. Maxwell Masters 

 (see his account of the Tiliace^e in Sir Joseph Hooker's Flora of 

 British India, i,, 1872, p. 397). It was found again in 1905 by 

 Mr. D. Hooper on a forest clearing at Haz4rikhil near Phiitik- 

 chari in the District of Chittagong ; and in 1906 we found it in 

 gardens at Purneah. By the kindness of Mr. B. Daydon Jack- 

 son, Sec. L.S., we have had most excellent photographs of the 

 type for comparison with our new material. 



A second of our varieties, var. coryltfoUa^ we found in 1907 

 in gardens at Jalpaiguri ; and the third — var. pyrifolia — was found 

 in 1906 in gardens at Fakirganj, west of Jalpaiguri. All the 

 three varieties differ from the type in their small size, in the 

 shapes of their leaves and in not being bitter in taste. 



0. capsularis^ var. Marua^ has narrow, elongated leaves, 

 characteristically veined, broadest close to the rounded base, and 

 coarsely doubly dentate-serrate in the lower part. 



It grows about 3 feet high, and flowers early. In Rangpur 

 it was apparently called * Marua,' to Hamilton ; and in Purneah 

 it is now called ** Chira/' 



