Thank you all, I am much convinced by Dr. Gurcharan Ji and Dr. Vijayasankar Ji comments. It is native of Tropical Africa - even the monograph on Tamarindus emphasizes this.
Once again thanks to one and all for enlightening discussion!!! Regards, Stephen... On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 12:03 PM, Gurcharan Singh <singh...@gmail.com>wrote: > Vijayasankar ji > I think the available literature confirms that the plant is native of > Africa and not India. My quote from the link above clarifies the situation. > > > -- > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > Retired Associate Professor > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ <http://people.du.ac.in/%7Esinghg45/> > > On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 11:49 AM, R. Vijayasankar < > vijay.botan...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Stephan ji, The location details (!!!!!!!!?) can be seen in this link: >> http://misc.thefullwiki.org/Tamarind_Island >> >> Gurcharan ji and all, >> The question which comes in everybody's mind is, if it is native to India >> why there is no wild population exist in our country. And we can not see it >> in wild condition either inside forests or in open fields. Whatever plant we >> see along fringes/ highly disturbed parts of forests and near habitations >> are practically from planted sources and/or dispersal of seeds by birds?, >> animals and human. Contrastingly, this species occur in wild in the >> 'forests' of Madagascar, for e.g. >> >> May be it was (and is) so popular and widely planted and used in our >> country that Linnaeus gave the name keeping India in mind? However, some >> authors consider the specific epithet denotes the West Indies where it is >> said to be indigenous (?) too. >> >> Another question: in what context Hooker described *Tamarindus >> officinalis* as new species (now synonym), based on specimen from where? >> what source: wild or planted? >> >> ...while writing this i read a monograph in this link: >> http://www.icuc-iwmi.org/files/Publications/tamarind_monograph.pdf and i >> am almost clear and convinced now about its distribution. I suggest you to >> read (page 9 onwards) this well researched monograph for clarity too. >> >> With regards >> >> Vijayasankar >> >> >> On Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 11:50 PM, Gurcharan Singh <singh...@gmail.com>wrote: >> >>> My source, well known book L. H. Bailey "Manual of Cultivated Plants" >>> writes that the generic name Tamarindus is derived from the Arabic >>> Tamar-Hindi meaning "Indian Date". This is also confirmed by web >>> information: >>> >>> http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080313220541AA9Noxo >>> "Persians and the Arabs who called it "tamar hindi" (Indian date, from >>> the date-like appearance of the dried pulp), giving rise to both its common >>> and generic names. Unfortunately, the specific name, "indica", also >>> perpetuates the illusion of Indian origin. The fruit was well known to the >>> ancient Egyptians and to the Greeks in the 4th Century B.C." >>> >>> http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/tamarind.html >>> "Native to tropical Africa, the tree grows wild throughout the Sudan and >>> was so long ago introduced into and adopted in India that it has often been >>> reported as indigenous there also, and it was apparently from this Asiatic >>> country that it reached the Persians and the Arabs who called it *"tamar >>> hindi" *(Indian date, from the date-like appearance of the dried pulp), >>> giving rise to both its common and generic names. Unfortunately, the >>> specific name, *"indica", *also perpetuates the illusion of Indian >>> origin. The fruit was well known to the ancient Egyptians and to the Greeks >>> in the 4th Century B.C." >>> >>> The source Tamarind Islands comes nowhere in picture. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Dr. Gurcharan Singh >>> Retired Associate Professor >>> SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 >>> Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. >>> Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 >>> http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ <http://people.du.ac.in/%7Esinghg45/> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> On Fri, Jul 23, 2010 at 9:56 AM, Stephen A <stephanos.cr...@gmail.com>wrote: >>> >>>> Dear Pankaj, >>>> >>>> Btw, Its great to know more about a common plant which has been used as >>>> condiment in our culinary preparations. >>>> Can you just throw some light on Tamarind Islands because I couldn't >>>> locate it on the web. >>>> One such island is located near Thailand but it is far away place from >>>> its native of tropical Africa. >>>> >>>> So, can you just explain where this island is located!!! >>>> >>>> Regards, >>>> >>>> Stephen... >>>> >>>> On Sun, Jul 11, 2010 at 10:58 PM, Dr. Pankaj Kumar < >>>> sahanipan...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Just wanted to add one info. Many believe that the plant is originated >>>>> in India as stated by Linnaeus too. But the plant is supposed to be >>>>> originally from Tamarind Island. This generic and specific epithet is >>>>> one of the few unique ones as both genus and species are based on name >>>>> of a place. There are very few such examples other than this, like, >>>>> India arunachalensis an Orchid. >>>>> >>>>> Nice pics BTW. >>>>> >>>>> Regards >>>>> Pankaj >>>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> -- >>>> Think about the Environment before printing this e-mail! ü >>>> +----------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------+ >>>> Think B4U Print >>>> 1 ream of paper = 6% of a tree and 5.4kg CO2 in the atmosphere >>>> 3 sheets of A4 paper = 1 litre of water >>>> +----------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------+ >>>> "Lets Protect What We Enjoy" >>>> "When the last tree is cut n the last river is poisoned, man will >>>> realize that s/he cannot eat her/his money" >>>> If you're never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take >>>> any chances - Anonymous >>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> > -- Think about the Environment before printing this e-mail! ü +----------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------+ Think B4U Print 1 ream of paper = 6% of a tree and 5.4kg CO2 in the atmosphere 3 sheets of A4 paper = 1 litre of water +----------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- --------+ "Lets Protect What We Enjoy" "When the last tree is cut n the last river is poisoned, man will realize that s/he cannot eat her/his money" If you're never scared or embarrassed or hurt, it means you never take any chances - Anonymous
