or Mawee, in botany; an East-Indian tree, so called by the natives of Bahar and the neighbouring countries, but of which the Sanscrit name is Madhuca or Madhuraduma. According to Lieut. C. Hamilton, by whom a very particular account of this tree is given in the Asiatic Researches, it is of the class of the polyandra-monogynia of Linnaeus, but of a genus not described by him. The calyx is monophyllous, quadrifid, half divided, and imbricated in its divided part; the two opposite and outer parts covering partially the two opposite and inner. The corolla is monopetalous, having an inflated tube for its lower part, of near an inch long, thick, fleshy, and of a cream colour: from this arise nine small leaves, as it were, like petals from a calyx, that are imbricated and twisted, one over the other, from right to left, clasping the lower part of the style in a point; by which they seem to serve, in some respect, like a forceps, to detach the whole corolla at the season of its dropping. There are no filaments; but the antherae, which are in number most commonly twenty-six, long, scabrous, and spear-headed, are inserted in rows, on the inside and upper part of the tube of the corolla. The style is long, round, and tapering, and projects about an inch beyond the corolla; it is succeeded by a drupe, with a thick pericarpium, bilocular, containing two seeds or kernels covered with a dark brown skin: there are often, however, three of these, in three separate divisions. The flowers rise in bunches, from the extremities of the smaller branches; and have each a pedicle of about an inch and a half long: these are mostly turned downwards, whence the corollas more easily drop off.

The tree, when full grown, is about the size of a common Mango tree, with a bushy head and oval leaves a little pointed; its roots spreading horizontally, are sunk but little in the earth: the trunk, which is often of a considerable thickness, rises seldom to any great height, without giving off branches; it is, however, not uncommon to see it shoot up clear to the length of eight or ten feet: the wood itself is moderately hard, fine grained, and of a reddish colour. By incision the tree affords a resinous gum from the bark.

The flowers are of a nature very extraordinary, differing essentially (says Mr. Hamilton) from those of any other plant with which I am acquainted, as they have not, in any respect, the usual appearance of such, but rather resemble berries; and I, like many others, had long conceived them to be the fruit of the Mahwah." The tree drops its leaves in the month of February, and early in March these flowers begin to come out in clutters of thirty, forty, or fifty, from the extremity of every small branch; and, from this period till the latter end of April, as the flowers come to maturity (for they never open or expand), they continue falling off, with their antherae, in the mornings, a little after sunrise; when they are gathered; and afterwards dried by an exposure of a few days in the sun: when thus prepared, they very much resemble a dried grape, both in taste and flavour. Immediately after the flowers drop off, fresh shoots are made for the new leaves, which soon make their appearance, coming presently to their full growth.

The fruit (properly so called) is of two sorts in shape; the one resembling a small walnut, the other somewhat larger and pointed: it is ripe towards the middle of May; and continues dripping from the tree till the whole fall, which is generally about the beginning or towards the middle of June. The outer covering, or pericarpium, which is of a soft texture, commonly bursts in the fall, so that the seeds are very easily squeezed out of it: the seeds are somewhat of the shape but longer than an olive. These seeds are replete with a thick oil, of the consistence of butter or ghee, which is obtained by expression.

From this description it may easily be conceived, that the Mahwah tree and its productions are of singular and general use, especially in those dry and barren countries, which, from the nature of their situation, are not so well calculated for producing in plenty or perfection the other necessaries of life.

The corolla or flowers, after being dried as before described, are eaten by the natives raw or dressed with their curries; and, when even simply boiled with rice, they afford a strengthening and wholesome nourishment. They are indeed, our author tells us, often applied to a less laudable purpose; for being fermented, they yield by distillation a strong spirit, which the people here sell so very cheap, that for one pice (about a half-penny) may be purchased no less than a cutchafeer (above a pint English) with which any man may get completely drunk. These flowers make an article of trade; being exported from this country to Patna and elsewhere in no inconsiderable quantities.

The oil yielded by the fruit, as before mentioned, resembles ghee so much, that, being cheaper, the natives often mix it with that commodity. They use it the same as ghee in their viands, and in the composition of some sorts of sweetmeats; and burn it in their lamps. It is also regarded as a salutary remedy, applied externally to wounds and all cutaneous eruptions. It is at first of the consistence of common oil, but soon coagulates: after being kept for some time, it acquires a bitterish taste and rancid smell, which renders it somewhat less agreeable as an article of food: but this is an inconvenience which, by the oil being properly clarified and prepared at first, might be perhaps avoided. This oil is also exported both in its adulterated and original state to Patna and other parts of the low-country.

The author does not know any purpose to which the gum has ever been applied; but if found upon trial to be of use, he informs us that it might be collected in large quantities; and that the best season for this would be in the months of March and April, about the time the flowers come out, when the tree seems to be most replete with it; such an operation, indeed, would probably diminish its produce in the fruit and flower; but where it was sufficiently cultivated, the loss in those could be but little felt.

The wood, from what has been already said of it, cannot be expected to be often had in beams of any considerable length, so as to make it very useful in building as it would otherwise be from its not being liable to be eaten by the white ants: Mr Keir, however, told our author, that when he was at Chowfee (a village upon the Caramnaffa near Buxar), he had beams of it which were to the best of his remembrance above 20 feet long; but in many other respects it is a most useful wood; and as it is tough, and of a strong texture, it might perhaps be employed to advantage in ship-building; in which case, if properly cultivated in many grounds that seem well adapted for it and fit for little else, it might thus in time become a valuable article in that branch at Calcutta, whither it could easily be transported during the rainy season from almost any part of these countries, by several rivers that are then sufficiently full to float it down.

The tree, it is said, though it does not refuse a rich soil, will grow in the most barren ground, even amongst stones and gravel, where there is the least appearance of a soil; and it seems to destroy all the smaller trees and brushwood about it. It does not require much moisture, seeming to produce nearly as well in the driest as in most favourable years, and in every situation; and is therefore admirably fitted for the convenience of the inhabitants of these hilly countries, which are peculiarly subject to long and severe droughts during the hot months.

Yet, notwithstanding its utility, and the immense quantity of ground that seems so well adapted to the growth of it, both here and in the neighbouring provinces of Catak, Pachet, Rotas, &c. (greatest part of which, indeed, seems fit for no other useful production) I have myself never observed, (says our author), nor can I find any of my acquaintance who ever have remarked, one single tree in its infant state. We can see, everywhere, full grown trees in great abundance; but, never meeting with any young plants, both I and all whom I have spoken to on the subject, are at some loss to conceive how they should have come here: neither can the country people themselves, of whom I have inquired, give any rational account of this; although it appears pretty evident that numbers of them must have been cultivated some time or other, every village having many of them growing about it. This is a circumstance which sufficiently marks the true character of the lower order of natives in their most supine indolence and sloth; owing chiefly, perhaps, to the ignorance and stupid capacity of their Rajahs, Zemindars, and other landholders, and their total inattention to the welfare of those dejected wretches from whom they derive their consequence and power. Of their base indifference to the interests of those whom they thus affect to hold beneath their regard, many striking instances occurred to me in the course of my inquiries upon this very subject; and it was not long ago that, asking some questions concerning the mahwah of a Zemindar in this neighbourhood, he answered, that 'it was the food of the poor people, and how should he know anything about it!'

It was this strange neglect of the culture of it, and a knowledge of its usefulness (continues our author), which first led me to enquire into the nature of this tree, from which the bulk of the people herabouts already draw such great benefit, in order to know whether they might not increase it without any great trouble to themselves; and whether thereby the revenue might not also be increased, and a certain provision be made against famines, from which the natives often suffer severely in these higher districts.

To effect this, it would be necessary to give the Ryots every possible encouragement to raise the tree from the seeds; but as the torpid apathy of these people, whether natural or acquired, will ever prevent their being moved to any exertion by a prospect, however alluring, of distant advantage, I apprehend the only way of bringing this about would be making the planting and raising of a certain number of mahwahs (in proportion to the value of the tenure) an article in their kabooleats or agreements.

The tree, as has been already observed, will grow almost anywhere; it ought to be sown about the beginning of the rains, either in beds (to be afterwards transplanted) or at about thirty or forty feet distance, in the ground designed for it. It is said that in seven years the trees will give flowers and fruit; in ten, they will yield about half of their common produce; and that in twenty years they come to their full growth; after which, if my information be good, they will last near one hundred years. This account, I acknowledge, must necessarily be very vague and uncertain, as I never have met with a single person who appeared to have had either opportunity or inclination to observe its progress. Such, however, is what the country people say of it.

I am told that a good tree will easily give four puckha maunds (about three hundred weight avoirdupois) of dried flowers, which will sell here for about two rupees; and of seeds it will afford about two maunds; and this, of oil, will yield 26 seers puckha weight (near 60 lb.) which, in a year like this, when oil is cheap, will sell at this place for two rupees more. It is to be observed, however, that every tree will not give so much; neither are the flowers and oil so clear in any part of the hills as at Chitra; but, allowing only a half of this or less, to be the product of each tree (though it might be rendered still much greater by the very least care and industry in the cultivation of it), within the space of 20 years a sufficiency might be raised to the inhabitants, and a considerable revenue to the proprietors of the lands throughout an immense tract of country; the greatest part of which, in its present state, is little better than a barren waste, and cannot pay one single anna to the Zemindar or the government. That such an advantage might be derived from it, may be proved by the most moderate calculation: for supposing the trees to be sown at 40 feet distance from each other, on each begah (about the third of an acre) might stand eight trees; and Mahwah supposing the product of each tree to be only half a rupee, there would be four rupees of annual value on a begah of ground; half of which going to the proprietor, it would thus give a far better rent than the generality of the best grounds in these parts; and the labourer would have a produce, without any other trouble than that of sowing the seed, and fencing the ground whilst the trees were young; and that of annually gathering the flowers and preparing the oil when they arrive at their proper size; and they would probably begin to give a produce within less than 10 years after the sowing.

"As this tree will yield nearly its usual quantity of flowers and fruit in seasons when, for want of rain, every other crop fails; if thus cultivated, it would afford the inhabitants a sure and certain resource, under the most dreadful, and what has hitherto been to them the most destructive, of all calamities, famine. It is well known, that the rice and other sorts of grain which form the chief part of their sustenance, require a considerable degree of moisture to bring them to perfection; an unusually dry season destroys the harvest in those articles, and reduces the Ryots in general to the utmost misery; a predicament into which they could hardly fall, even in the severest dearth of grain, whilst they had plenty of the flowers and fruit of the mahwah to depend upon."