People give very peculiar names to the plants based on their perception and sometimes these names continue their use in local language. Some times they even relate it to religion by attaching some god's name to it. Thats a way of local nomenclature. It does help a lot at time whereas creates confusion too. One such example is HABE AMRI, which is a broken, molested, marathi word for HABENARIA and nothign else according to me.
The plant growing in Howrah Botanic Garden which is called Mad Tree is Chrysophyllum cainito. Bengalis also call it rasogulla tree, I imagine why dont they call it Gulab Jamun tree as the fruits are dark bluish brinjal or brown like a Gulab Jamun. Pterygota alata "diversifolia" is called Mad Tree or Buddha's coconut!! Regards Pankaj On Tue, Dec 21, 2010 at 10:13 AM, Vijayasankar <[email protected]> wrote: > > Thanks Mr.Neil, for the id and etymology. > The tri-lobed leaf in the picture deceived me to give that name. > > Regards > > ---------------------------------------------------- > Vijayasankar Raman, Ph.D. > Post Doctoral Research Associate > National Center for Natural Products Research > Thad Cochran Research Center > University of Mississippi, Oxford, MS 38677 > Phone: +1 662 915 1018 > > > On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 10:27 PM, Neil Soares <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hi Tanay, >> Close but not exactly - it is called the 'Mad Tree' because no two of its >> leaves are of the same shape. >> Regards, >> Neil. >> >> --- On Tue, 12/21/10, tanay bose <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> From: tanay bose <[email protected]> >> Subject: Re: [efloraofindia:57529] 201210-PR -For ID-Chennai. >> To: "Neil Soares" <[email protected]> >> Cc: "indiantreepix" <[email protected]>, "Padmini Raghavan" >> <[email protected]> >> Date: Tuesday, December 21, 2010, 12:24 AM >> >> Yes Pterygota alata, I first saw this tree in Indian Botanic garden as this >> plant has no prefect leaf shape >> hence its called a mad tree >> Tanay >> >> On Mon, Dec 20, 2010 at 10:23 AM, Neil Soares <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> Hi, >> This is Pterygota alata 'diversifolia' also called the 'Mad Tree'. >> Regards, >> Neil Soares. >> >> --- On Mon, 12/20/10, Padmini Raghavan <[email protected]> wrote: >> >> From: Padmini Raghavan <[email protected]> >> Subject: [efloraofindia:57518] 201210-PR -For ID-Chennai. >> To: "indiantreepix" <[email protected]> >> Date: Monday, December 20, 2010, 11:05 PM >> >> Please help me id the tree whose varied leaves I have photographed. >> Photography is not permitted in the Agri-hort garden, hence I have snapped >> some of the fallen leaves. >> Someone has given me a hint that the leaves belong to a tree called the "Mad >> Tree" , SOMETHING diversifolia. >> Please help me identify the "SOMETHING" >> Thanks, >> Padmini Raghavan. >> >> >> >> -- >> Tanay Bose >> Research Assistant & Teaching Assistant. >> Department of Botany. >> University of British Columbia . >> 3529-6270 University Blvd. >> Vancouver, B.C. V6T 1Z4 (Canada) >> Phone: 778-323-4036 (Mobile) >> 604-822-2019 (Lab) >> [email protected] >> >> > -- *********************************************** "TAXONOMISTS GETTING EXTINCT AND SPECIES DATA DEFICIENT !!" Pankaj Kumar Ph.D. (Orchidaceae) Research Associate Greater Kailash Sacred Landscape Project Department of Habitat Ecology Wildlife Institute of India Post Box # 18 Dehradun - 248001, India
