The Aborigines of Brazil. 327 



13. Calabash- tree, Crescentia Cujete, L. This tree also 

 occurs within the tropics in almost all portions of the new 

 world, and always in the neighbourhood of the aborigines, 

 who prepare from its gourd-like fruit, very neatly carved 

 drinking vessels, in Carib called Cm, in Tupi Cuja* The tree 

 is called by the Tupi tribes Choite or Cuite, by several other 

 ones Tutuma. 



14. Cotton shrub, Gossypium vitifolium, Lam. was found 

 every where in cultivation on the discovery of America. Cot- 

 ton was one of the chief articles which the Indians brought 

 as tribute to their Caziks and to their European plunderers. 

 The Indian indicates the limits of his field by a small cotton 

 thread drawn round his plantation. The cotton shrub is 

 called by the Tupis Amyniu, by the Guaranis Mandiyu, by the 

 island Caribs Amoulou, by the continental ones Maourou, by 

 the Azteks, who weave beautiful cloths from it and colour 

 them, Ychaxihuitly by the Zapoteks Xilla. 



15. The Arnotto-bush, Bixa Orellana, L., in Tupi Urucu, 

 in Carib Rocu, and on the continent Biche, is known as a 

 colouring matter, and as a medicinal plant among all the 

 aborigines of tropical America. I have never seen this spe- 

 cies wild, but a very similar one, the Bixa Urucarana, Willd. 

 as a curious example of the resemblance of names used 

 among different tribes, I may mention that the Abipones 

 in Paraguay call the yellow-yielding bark of the Trichilia 

 Catigoa, S. Hil. Achite, while the Azteks call the Urucil 

 Achiotl. 



16. The bottle-gourd, Lagenaria Vulgaris, DC, is also one 

 of the most widely extended plants connected with the re- 

 mote history of the Americans. It is called by some of the 

 Brazilian Indians Caramemu, by the insular Caribs Batia, 

 by the continental ones Maiatd, which means a vessel, by the 

 people of Chili Penca. 



J 7. The Physic nut-tree, Jatropha Curcas, L., is often 

 found in the vicinity of Indian huts, but I have never found 



