TURMERIC. 213 



trunk only a few feet in height. The wood is very hard 

 and durable, and in high esteem for gun-stocks. The bark 

 of the roots yields a red dye, which is rather fugitive ; the 

 natives use alum to fix the colour. 



Morinda citrifolia, a small tree, native of Central India, 

 where its roots constitute the red dye called al or aal ; it is 

 used in giving a permanent red colour to the native cotton 

 cloth called Jchurwa, which is much worn by the water- 

 carriers of India. These Morindas have all been occa- 

 sionally imported under the names of Madder, Munjeet, and 

 Chay-root. 



Turmeric. — The rhizome or root- stalk of Curcuma longa. 

 (Nat. Ord. Zingiber acea. See p. 77.) (Plate XIII. fig. 65.) 



This vegetable product is supposed to be the Kvireipo^ 

 IvBikos [Cyperus Indicus) of the ancients, which both Dios- 

 corides and Pliny describe as resembling the roots of ginger 

 in form, but dyeing saliva a saffron-colour when chewed. 

 The name Curcuma is derived from the Persian kurJcum, 

 saffron. In India it is known under various names, as AruJc 

 ool Sufr huldee, Jaola huldee, Huldee, etc. 



Dr. Pereira describes and figures five different varieties 

 of Turmeric as those which generally find their way into 

 the European markets. 



