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Tamarind monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future

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Lewis et al. (2005) have summarised <strong>the</strong> latest morphological and molecular<br />

analyses and continued work will clarify <strong>the</strong> exact positioning of<br />

<strong>Tamarind</strong>us in relation to its putatively related genera.<br />

<strong>Tamarind</strong>us itself is a monotypic genus, containing <strong>the</strong> sole species T.<br />

indicus.<br />

1.3 Nomenclature<br />

<strong>Tamarind</strong>us indicus L. Species Plantarum (1753) 34<br />

It is thought that Linnaeus gave <strong>the</strong> specific epi<strong>the</strong>t indicus because <strong>the</strong> name<br />

tamarind itself was derived from Arabic which combined Tamar meaning<br />

‘date’ with Hindi meaning ‘of India’. The full Arabic name was Tamar-u’l-<br />

Hind and <strong>the</strong> word date included because of <strong>the</strong> brown appearance of<br />

tamarind pulp.<br />

Subsequent botanists differentiated between tamarind from <strong>the</strong> West Indies<br />

(T. occidentalis Gaertn.) and tamarind from <strong>the</strong> East Indies (T. officinalis<br />

Hook.). Jackson (1895) in Index Kewensis, found <strong>the</strong>se names to be<br />

superfluous and <strong>the</strong> descriptions insufficient to separate <strong>the</strong> two species.<br />

1.3.1 Vernacular names<br />

The local names used in various regions and languages are shown in Table<br />

1.1.<br />

Ethiopia<br />

Kenya<br />

Table 1.1 Common/vernacular names of tamarind<br />

Country<br />

Africa<br />

Language Name(s)<br />

Bemba<br />

mushishi<br />

Fula<br />

dabe, jammeth, jammi<br />

Jola<br />

budahar<br />

Mandinka timbimb, timbingo, tombi, tomi<br />

Tigrina<br />

humer<br />

Wolof<br />

daharg, dakah, dakhar, nclakhar<br />

Amharic<br />

Tigrina<br />

Gamo/Oromo<br />

Swahili<br />

Masai<br />

Turkana<br />

Borana<br />

hemor, homor, humar, komar, tommar<br />

arabeb<br />

b/roka, racahu, dereho, dindie, ghroma,<br />

gianko, omar<br />

mkwaju<br />

ol-masamburai<br />

eopduran<br />

roka<br />

2

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