1837.] 



Collected at Bombay, 



179 



are extremely tough and might be used in making cord, if not cloth ; 

 however, 1 am not aware of its being applied to any economical uses. — 

 11. Anacardium occidentale. Cashew nut: common in Salsette and on 

 the island of Bombay, &c. The apples are seldom used, indeed they 

 are not worth eating. — 12. Adenanthera pavonia* — 13. Adenanthera 

 aculeata. — 14. Averhoa bilimbi. — 15. Averhoa carambola. Both species 

 are common in gardens, and the fruit is used for making tarts. The 

 fruit of bilimbi grows from the thick branches and often from the stem 

 of the tree in a singular manner, like the jack fruit. The carambola is 

 called kurmul by the natives, a word which signifies sour or sharp tasted. 

 — 16. Argemone Meocicana. A common weed, if not a native, it is, at 

 least, completely naturalized. — 17. Alangium 6-petalum. Grows on 

 Elephanta. — 18. Anona squamosa. Custard apple, very common 

 throughout India. The fruit is used as an article of food by the natives 

 in times of scarcity ; it is produced in great abundance with the slight- 

 est care ; the tree seems to grow indifferently on all soils and situations. 

 — 19. Anona reticulata. Bullock's heart, so named from the shape of 

 the fruit, which is also eaten, though it is inferior to the custard apple. 

 The flowers have a very sweet smell, something like the finest flavoured 

 pears. This species is not nearly so common as the other. It is gene- 

 rally to be found planted near temples along with the other species. 

 They call them ram vhool and ceta vhool, in honour of a heathen god 

 and goddess; vhool means flowei-.f— 20. Adansonia digitata.— This 

 tree appears to be naturalized. Several of them grow on Bombay 

 Island, throughout the 'Concan and in Guzurat. 1 do not think any 

 use is made of the fruit; the tree assumes a very fantastic shape, the 

 trunk very short and rapidly tapering ; it attains a great size. J — 21. 

 Abrus precatorius. A climber common in the edges and jungles ; when 

 the pods open and display its red bead like fruit, it looks very pretty. 

 The natives use the seeds for weights, and call them gooneh.—22. Arte- 

 misia Indica.— '23. Aristolochia Indica. This is a rare plant, with 

 dingy looking flowers and leaves. I found it on Malabar hill and Cross 

 Island in the harbour. Humboldt tells us, the South Americans use 

 the flowers of some of their gigantic species for hats. — 24. Artocarpus 

 incisa. Bread fruit tree. I only know one tree on the island, it grows 

 well and produces fruit, of some of which I have eaten. In times of 

 scarcity it would be an invaluable tree, and as the soil and climate ap- 

 pear to suit it well, it is a pity that it has not been commonly planted. 

 Its congener the jack fruit {A. integrifolia) is in common use among 



* This elegant flower (termed the peacock flower) forms a prominent part of the banquet, 

 with which the Musselmans present Europeans on Sundays. — Ed. 



t The author states in a letter tome that " the properties of Indian plants are little 

 known, -and no dependence whatever can be placed on native names. In fact very few 

 have any place in their nomenclature. They are Jungle ka vhool, i. e. wild flowers." En. 



% There is a fine specimen of this tree in Caranja Island. See Records, vol. l., 335,— Ed. 



