A NOTE ON PLANTS 
USED DURING FAMINES AND SEASONS OF SCARCITY 
IN THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. 
♦ 
By G. A. Gammie, 
♦ 
B y Government of Bombay Resolution No. 5214, dated 25th July 
I go I, I was instructed to place myself in communication with 
the Collectors of affected districts in order to procure complete 
information regarding the plants used for food during times of 
scarcity and famine. A list is appended of the Collectors and their 
subordinate officers who generously assisted in the enquiry and to 
whom my thanks are due. 
In many cases the samples submitted were very inadequate and 
were only to be identified after minute investigation ; but, still, the 
valuable remarks attached to many compensated for the trouble in 
effecting their determination. The vernacular names are collected 
with extreme care and as they, in almost all cases, refer to common 
plants, sufficiently familiar to be selected for food, they can be 
accepted as correct. The names are localized in the list to illustrate 
the differences of usage in the various districts. In a few instances 
and probably by inadvertence, vernacular names and specimens 
were transposed.' There was no difficulty found in correcting mis- 
takes of this description ; but, in fewer instances, happily, vernacular 
names were applied indiscriminately. These, of course, were 
deleted and are ignored in the list. It must be borne in mind that 
few of these plants are or could be used exclusively for food. The 
customary method is to mix them with cereal grains to eke out a 
scanty stock of the latter and the poorer classes habitually resort 
to such expedients. 
B 
