Edible Products. 



546 



[June 1908. 



LIST OF JUNGLE PRODUCTS USED 

 BY THE POOR DURING THE 

 FAMINE, 1896-97. 



By T. E. D. Innes, 



Agent, Balrampur Estate. 

 [This is a useful list. Those plants 

 which occur native in Ceylon are marked 

 with an asterisk.— Ed.] 



Shrubs. 



1, Jharbera (Zizyphus nummularia, 

 W. and A., Nat. Ord. Rhamnaceae). — 

 Ripens about in October when it is 

 gathered and eaten as a fruit. Bread is 

 also made from it. It was also eaten 

 unripe during the famine, the stone being 

 taken out, and the remainder pounded 

 up and eaten both uncooked and also 

 made into bread. The seeds are soaked 

 in water, and the decoction strained and 

 drunk as a cooling drink, and great 

 thirst quencher. [Other species of Z. 

 occur in Ceylon, e.g., Z. Jujuba, the 

 Maha-debara or Ilantai, and the fruit is 

 eaten.] 



* 2. Karaunda Desi (Carissa Caran- 

 dns, L., Nat. Ord. Apocynaceae). — This 

 ripens during the rainy season, and is 

 a small berry produced on a thorny 

 shrub, and is eaten when ripe. Chatni 

 and pickles are also made from the fruit. 

 [Maha-karamba, Sin-, Perumkila, Tarn.] 



* 3. Karaunda Jangli {Carissa spina- 

 rum, A. D. C„ Nat. Ord. Apocynaceae). 

 — This is a small berry produced on a 

 thorny shrub and ripens in December. 

 It is a general article of food amongst 

 the poor who pluck and eat it when ripe. 

 [Hin-karamba, Sinh., Chirukila, Kilatte, 

 Tarn.] 



4. Khajur or Palo wti ( Phoenix acau- 

 lis, Buch., Nat. Ord. Palmae).— The root 

 is much sought after. The outside bark 

 is removed, and the inside is split up 

 into 4 or 5 pieces aud pounded, when a 

 coarse white flour is produced ; the 

 stringy parts are removed and thrown 

 away and the flour ground in chakkis 

 and made into bread. It is considered 

 most edible and is much sought after, 

 generally eaten in the cold season, as it 

 is said to be very heating and causes 

 dizziness when eaten in the warm 

 weather. At the top of the root, where 

 the very fresh green leaves start, the 

 white soft vegetable substance between 

 the base of the leaves and the root is 

 eaten uncooked. The fruit of this plant 

 ripens in April and May, and is also 

 eaten. [P. zeylanica, the Indi, occurs in 

 Ceylon.] 



* 5. Bhusi Dal Arhar (Cajanus indi- 

 cus, Spreng., Nat. Ord. Leguminosae).— 



This is simply the dry husks over the 

 arhar dal, which were ordinarily thrown 

 away, but during the famine were kept, 

 pounded into flour and made into bread. 

 [Cultivated in Ceylon under the name 

 Ratatora, Sinh., Thavarai, Tam., or 

 Pigeon-pea.] 



6. Kharhar Ka Phal (Gardenia 

 turgida, Roxb., Nat. Ord. Rubiaceae). — A 

 wild thorny shrub producing a fruit like 

 the bel, when unripe it is boiled and 

 eaten, but when it ripens becomes pois- 

 onous. Fruits in June and is edible 

 about July and August, after which it 

 begins to ripen. 



* 7. Sita Chabeni (Grewia polygama, 

 Roxb., Nat Ord. Tiliaceae).—A jungly 

 bush. The fruit when ripe is eaten un- 

 cooked and when unripe is parched and 

 eaten like giam. It is more or less nut- 

 ritive. The root is used medicinally. 

 Fruits in July and ripens about January. 

 [Bora-daminiya, Sinh., Taviddai, Tam., 

 common in dry zone.] 



* 8. Maini (Randia dumetorum, Lank., 

 Nat. Ord. Rubiaceae). — A jungle shrub 

 which fruits about July and ripens 

 about January. When the fruit is un- 

 ripe it is boiled and eaten, but when it 

 ripens it becomes rather poisonous. It 

 is used medicinally when ripe. The 

 jungle people use it to poison water to 

 enable them to catch the fish. [Kukuru- 

 man, Sinh., Karai, Tam., common near 

 coast in dry zone. Ripe fruit used as 

 fish poison by Veddahs.] 



9. Daper or Bendul (Grewia scab- 

 rophylla, Roxb., Nat. Ord. Tiliaceae).— 

 Also known as Patra. A jungle shrub 

 found in sub-montane forest, produces 

 a small round fruit which ripens in 

 November and December. Eaten un- 

 cooked, and sweet to the taste, consid- 

 ered wholesome. 



10. Makoia Jangli (Dioscorea glabra, 

 Roxb , Nat. Ord. Diosco?-eaceae.)-Th.ei ruit 

 of a thorny shrub found in the jungle, 

 and eaten when ripe. Ripens about 

 November and December. [Many species 

 of Dioscorea in Ceylon (yams).] 



*11. Perar (Randia tdiginosa, D.C, 

 Nat. Old. Rubiaceae).— A thorny shrub 

 found in the jungle, as a rule near water. 

 The flowers and fruit are both eaten 

 after being boiled. It flowers about 

 June, and ripens about March, aud pro- 

 vides food for nearly nine months in the 

 year. Considered most edible. [Et-ku- 

 kuruman, Wadiga, Sin. ; edges of tanks ; 

 fruit flesh used in curries.] 



* 12. Bao Birang (Embelia robusta, 

 Roxb., Nat. Ord. Myrsineae). — A shrub 

 found in the jungle, the fruit of which 



