Tamil names of the exotic naturalized Senna hirsuta

Dinesh Valke

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Feb 5, 2018, 8:57:12 AM2/5/18

to efloraofindia, Vijayasankar Raman

Dear friends and Vijayasankar ji,

Please help me with any of the valid name(s) among malaiyavarai, malaiyavaram, malaiyavirai in native script listed at ENVIS / FRLHT.

I think malai / malaya / malaiya refer to mountain - though mountain / hill does not fit in context of Senna hirsuta; I could be not aware of some word similar sounding and meaning woolly / hairy.

I found அவரை avarai / ஆவாரம் avaram = field-bean, Dolichos lablab

Regards.

Dinesh

Vijayasankar

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Feb 5, 2018, 10:23:29 AM2/5/18

to Dinesh Valke, efloraofindia

Hi Dinesh ji,

Here are the Tamil names in their native script:
malaiyavarai: மலையாவாரை (மலை + ஆவாரை),
malaiyavaram: மலையாவாரம் (மலை + ஆவாரம்),
malaiyavirai: மலையாவிரை (மலை + ஆவிரை)

I have split the Tamil words above for better clarity. Dolichos lablab is called "avarai" (அவரை) in Tamil. But the name "āvārai" (ஆவாரை) and "āvāram" (ஆவாரம்) refer to Senna auriculata (here comes the importance of phonetics!).
I think the plant here (Senna hirsuta) is compared with Senna auriculata perhaps due to their morphological similarities, and distinguished from it by the prefix "malai" meaning "of hill" or "wild". The term "malai" could also refer to the hairy feature of the plant.

Vijayasankar

----------------------------------------
Vijayasankar Raman, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
National Center for Natural Products Research
University of Mississippi

Dinesh Valke

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Feb 5, 2018, 10:40:40 AM2/5/18

to Vijayasankar, efloraofindia

Thank you very very much Vijayasankar ji for the help with names in native script and for the clear and lucid explanations !!!