CARUM CARUI — CARUM COPTICUM. 



CARUM CARUI, Linn.* 



Caraway ; zira, zira siyah (Hind.) ; jira (Beng.). 



Natural order Unibelliferce. The caraway plant grows wild on the N.-W. Himalaya, and is 

 said to be cultivated in Garhwal for its aromatic fruits. I do not find that it is anywhere grown in 

 the plain districts of these Provinces. 



The seeds are used as a spice for flavouring curries and other dishes, and they also 

 form an ingredient of cakes. Medicinally they are regarded as stomachic, carminative 

 and diuretic, and are sometimes used for neuralgia. 



There still appears to be some uncertainty regarding the true origin of the various 

 products used as caraway. Dr. Dymoek, referring to the ordinary caraway of com- 

 merce, remarks : — 



" Natives seldom use it, as they have a variety, the Carum nigrum, (Vern. sajira or siahzira,) 

 11 which they have long been accustomed to. This, the C. nigrum, Royle, has more slender and 

 " darker coloured fruits than the caraway. The flavour approaches that of cummin, and the 

 " Persian name which it bears signifies black cummin. It is probably the article described in 

 " Persian works on Materia Medica as kirmani, or black cummin." 



According to Bentley and Trimen the name ' Carui 5 was used by the mediaeval 

 pharmacists for the drug, and is said to be derived from the Arabic name 'Karawya,' 

 and that the English word caraway is a further corruption. 



x 



CARUM COPTICUM, BenthJ 



{Vide Plate LXXIIL] 



Prickly-seeded Bishop's weed, or Lovage ; ajwain, ajowan, bal ajwain (Hind) ; yamain 



(Sans.). 



Natural order U?nl>ellifer<x. An annual with finely divided leaves, umbels of white flower.-, 

 and muricate subhispid fruits. 



* References :— Fl. Ind., II , 680 ; Boirs., Fl. Or., II., 879 ; Watt, Diet. Econom. Prod., II., 196 ; Atkinson, Him. 

 Hist. I., 705, 731 ; Bent, and Trimen, Med. PI., 121 ; Pharmacogr. Ind., II., 119 ; Dymoek, Vcg. Mat. Med., W. Ind., 3C7-8 ; 

 Yule and Burnell, Gloss., 127. C. nigrum, Royle, 111. Him Bot., 220. 



t Fl. Br. Ind , II., C82 ; Watt, Diet. Econom. Prod., II., 198 ; Atkinson, Econom. Prod. N.-W. Prov. V., 29 ; Him. Dist., 

 I., 705, 730 ; Pharmacogr. Ind., II., 116. Amni copticum, Boiss., Fl. Or., II., 891. Ligvsticuvi Ajawain, Fleming, Cat. 

 Ind. Med. PI., 25. L. Ajowan, ltoxb., Hort. Beng., 21 j Fl.Ind., (Clarke's Ed.), 271 ; Stewart, Punj. PL, 107. Ptrjchotis 

 Ajiwian, DC, Wight. Ic., t. 5GG ; Hoylc, 111. Him, Bot., 229; Baden Powell, Punj. Prod., 350. Varum Ajoiiwi, Bent, and 

 Trimen, Med. PI., 120. 



