November, 1908.] 



429 



Edible Products. 



is cooked and prepared in various ways, 

 and sometimes eaten raw. It is sold in 

 pieces in the bazaars at a few cents each. 

 The seeds, which are of the size and 

 form of dates, are roasted and esteemed 

 in curries, etc. They are both tasty and 

 nutritious. There are numerous varie- 

 ties of jak tree, differing chiefly in the 

 shape and flavour of the fruit. In Cey- 

 lon there is the variety called "vela," 

 distinct by its comparatively soft rind 

 and pulp; also " waraka," distinguished 

 by a firmer fruit. Of the latter there 

 are sub-varieties; as " kuru-waraka," 

 with small roundish fruits; and "peni- 

 waraka," which means honey-jak, the 

 pulp being sweet. A distinct variety 

 called the "Johore jak" may be seen 

 growing on Mr. Wright's estate at Miri- 

 gama. It bears hairy leaves and small 

 fruits which have a most overpowering 

 odour, suggesting that of the durian 

 fruit. This is considered one of the 

 sweetest varieties of the jak-f ruit. 



Artocarpus Lakoocha, known in India 

 as the " Monkey jak." This is an erect 

 tree with oblong entire dark-green 

 leaves, which are about eight inches 

 long and four broad. It is a native of 

 Bengal, and its fruit is said to be some- 

 times eaten and relished. The fruit is 

 roundish or oblong in shape, of the size 

 of an orange. The tree flourishes at 

 Peradeniya, and in Southern India up 

 to 4,000 feet. 



Artocarpus nobilis. — This is the indi- 

 genous bread-fruit of Ceylon, known to 

 the Sinhalese as "del." "gan-del" or 

 '• wal-del, " and to the Tamils as " asini- 

 pilakkai. " It is a handsome tree, usually 

 growing to a height of about 50 feet, but 

 sometimes to a much greater height. It 

 has a spreading habit with a round head, 

 and bears large leathery leaves which are 

 wavy at the margin. The fruit is like a 

 thick cone, six to eight inches long ; it is 

 commonly eaten by the natives, being 

 cooked and used as a vegetable for 

 curries, etc It contains several round 

 white seeds, of the form of largo peas, 

 which are roasted and eaten. The tree 

 is confined to Ceylon, and grows in the 

 moist low country up to 2,000 feet. It 

 is readily propagated by seed, and is well 

 worth cultivating as a handsome shade 

 or timber tree. 



MISCELLANEOUS ECONOMIC 

 PRODUCTS. 



By J. C. Willis 



2, Bassia. 

 Bassia is a genus of the family Sapo- 

 tacea;, to which belong Payena and 

 Palaquium, which yield gutta-percha, 

 and Mimusops which in its South 



American species yields balata, and in 

 its Ceylon species is the palu. There 

 are about thirty species, chiefly in the 

 Indo-Malayan region. Of these five occur 

 in Ceylon ; the commonest is B. tongi- 

 folia, L., the Mi (Sinh.) orllluppai (Tarn.), 

 which also occurs in South India. The 

 other four are found only in Ceylon : 

 one is common, the others rare. 



Bassia longifolia, L., the Mi or Illuppai, 

 is common in the forests of the dry zone of 

 Ceylon, but is rare, and perhaps always 

 planted, in the wet districts. It is a large 

 much-branched tree, which for a few 

 days in the dry season is bare of leaves, 

 but is soon covered with the yellowish- 

 pink young foliage. 



The flowers have a strong and un- 

 pleasant odour of mice ; they come out 

 from February to May. Their petals 

 contain a large quantity of sugar, and 

 they are collected and dried and sub- 

 sequently eaten. They are said to be 

 mildly laxative. 



The tree also occurs in Mysore. Mala- 

 bar, the Auamalai hills, and the Circars. 

 It yields an inferior gum known as 

 elloppa, used in Madras as a remedy in 

 rheumatic affections. The leaves and 

 bark, and the juice of the bark and 

 young fruit are also used medicinally, 

 and are said to be astringent and emol- 

 lient. The bark is also used as an astrin- 

 gent tonic in Ceylon. 



The ripe seeds yield an oil known in 

 Ceylon as Mi-tel, which is used here in 

 cooking and as an application in skin 

 diseases. The oil is yellow and semi- 

 solid, and is used in India for burning, 

 soapmaking, and as an adulterant for 

 ghee. The cake left after expression of 

 the oil is baked, and used as a hair- 

 wash, having good detergent properties. 

 The cake is known in the north of Uey- 

 lon as arappu, and is exported from 

 Jaffna, &c, to India, In 1905, 106 ewt. 

 were exported, valued at Rs. 567. 



The timber is pale reddish brown in 

 colour, hard and heavy, aud lasts well, 

 especially under water, where it is com- 

 paratively free from the attacks of 

 Teredo. It is used for carts, furniture 

 and bridges. 



Bassia latifolia, Roxb.. the Mahua, 

 Mhowra, or butter tree of India (Uluppi, 

 Tarn.), which occurs from the Central 

 Provinces to the Western Ghats and 

 Burma, is one of the most valuable 

 Indian trees. It occurs in gregarious 

 forests, usually mixed with sal. It 

 thrives on dry stoney ground, and a 

 most unusual drought is required to 

 check its bearing. It is nowhere plant- 

 ed, but is carefully protected and 

 preserved, and in many districts is the 

 most common tree. 



