Hortus Malabaricus is still not lost: its surviving plates preserve Indian plant names, including these five. Surat's connection to this botanical archive runs through its compiler, Hendrik van Rheede, whose mausoleum stands in the city. The plants documented here are from Malabar, not a survey of Surat. Published in Amsterdam in 12 volumes between 1678 and 1693, the work drew on Indian expertise, including the physician Itty Achuden and the scholars Ranga Bhat, Vinayaka Pandit and Appu Bhat. Their knowledge deserves to be remembered alongside the Dutch compiler's name. Here are five plates in volume order: 1. Coconut: Tenga, volume 1, plate 3, with names in four scripts. 2. Flame of the forest: Plaso, volume 6, plate 16, with a leaf cluster and flowering stem. 3. Arabian jasmine: Cudda-mulla, volume 6, plate 51, showing double flowers. 4. Garden croton: Tsjera-maram, volume 6, plate 61, with patterned leaves. 5. Black pepper: Molago-codi, volume 7, plate 12, published in 1688. These are reproductions of historical botanical engravings. The cover shows the Hina-pariti plate and the end card uses the book's 1678 frontispiece. All are credited; the five plant names are transcribed from the plates. Which name sounds familiar to you? Send this to a Surti who loves the stories behind the city's history. Join Surat's WhatsApp group: iamsuratcity.com/join #surat #suratcity #iamsuratcity #suratdiaries #suratgram #instasurat #exploresurat #onlyinsurat #suratlife #gujarat

Uploaded: 2026-10-01T18:09:22.000Z
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Udhna, Surat | Oct 1, 2026

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