INDIAN PLANTS i09- 



^« ers on the 15th of September, and all were fall of blofibms by 



«'^ th*" 10th of 06lober. The flowering branches fhoot from the 



6^ trun.'i of the YiriQ and alfo from the wood of the large branchese 



■'^^ The flowers are fucceeded by fmall white berries, to the number 



s* of 2 and 300 on a bunch, which continue ilowly to increafe in 



" fize until the commencement of March, when they begin to ac- 



^^ quire a purple colour, not all together, but fucceilivcly, and fall 



" off, when they have become of a bright purple, one by one, as 



" each berry attains maturity. The birds alfo carry off grsat 



^' numbers in this ftate ; a circumflance which leads the natives 



" to gather them before they begin to change colour, and confe- 



^' queotly before the kernel has acquired the oily part, which 



" conftitutes its value as a poiionous drug/' 



" I have never heard that the drug was put to any other ufe 

 " but that of a vermiFage on black cattle and horfes, and for killing 

 ^^ or rathcc ilupifying filh, fo as to make them float: on the furface 

 " and be eafily caught» What is carried from hence to Arabics, 

 " and Perfm, is as I have been affared, ufed for the fame purpofes, 

 '" It is probable that when freih it would alfo kill rats and crows : 

 " indeed it is ufed with that intention in fome parts ; but having 

 " never feen this done I cannot therefore foeak to its effe^s. In 

 " Canara I have met with a kind of wax made of its kernels freed 

 ■^^ from their hofks, ufed for burning in Lamp." 



" The proper name in Malabar is Nanja, Cooras (Poifon Berry), 

 but it is more generally known to traders and the common peo* 

 pie by the name of Folia Kay (light or imperfeft fruit) from its 

 being gathered before maturity, the kernel not having acquired 

 its proper fize to give the Berry weight. In Canara it is named 

 *^* Garala Pliala, but whether that be the Sanfcrit name I cannot 

 ■" lay ; Caca-mari or Kill crozo, is the Dukhani name, and probabl}^ 

 ;^' derived from the ufe that is made ofit.'^ 





