OLDENLANDIA UMBELLATA. 
Gory 
Stem inthe cultivated sort erect, round, jointed below, very ramous, 
somewhat scabrous, from six to twelve inches high. 
Branches axillary, the under opposite, decussated, spreading hori- 
zontal, and nearly as long as the stem; above alternate, or in 
pairs from the axill. 
In the wild sort there is scarce any stem, but many diffuse 
scraggy branches, with their flower-bearing extremities erect. 
Leaves opposite, tern or quatern, sessile, linear, pointed, scabrous, 
spreading, from + to + inch long, by + broad ; in the axills of 
the principal leaves are generally fascicles of smaller leaves. 
Stipules connecting, ciliated. 
Flowers terminal, small, white, very numerous, the whole forming 
a large umbell, composed of small three-cleft umbellets. 
Bracts minute, awled. 
The parts of fructification agree exactly with those of the genus. 
This is a small biennial, rarely triennial plant, it grows in very 
light dry sandy ground near the sea. Flowers during the latter part 
of the wet season ; seed ripe in January. 
It is much cultivated on the coast of Coromandel, and grows best 
in the purest and lightest sand, there its roots descend to a great 
depth. 
is sown, to manure it, or some other manure employed, generally 
Cattle are penned upon the ground for some time before it 
the lightest ; it is then cleared of weeds, and its surface made level, 
if not so before. The seeds are mixed with much sand, and sown as 
soon as the rains begin in June, or July (that is in the Circars); the 
sand is mixed with the seed to enable the sower to sow it suffi- 
ciently thin; it requires to be often watered if showers are not fre- 
quent, till the plants are about two or three inches high. The first 
watering is peculiar; some fresh cow-dung is mixed with the water, 
the chief object of which is to give the sand at the surface some de- 
gree of adhesion, which prevents the strong winds that prevail at 
this season from blowing away the seeds; after, it requires little or 
no care, few weeds grow in such a soil as fits this culture, of course 
a very little labour keeps it clean: if the season is remarkably wet, 
the quality of the roots are much injured, and the drier the season 
the richer they are in colour and quality. In February, which 
is seven or eight months from the time the seeds were sown, the 
roots are reckoned to be in a proper state for taking up; to effect 
which a trench is made along the side of the field, fully as deep, 
or rather deeper than the length of the longest roots, which may 
be reckoned two feet; a two-pronged fork is then employed to 
undermine the ground, and as it falls in, the roots are taken up, 
the stems and branches cut off; the entire roots dried in the sun, 
tied up in small bundles of a few ounces, and kept in dry airy 
places, which is all the preparations it receives from the cultivators : 
it will remain good three, four, or even five years, and the dyers 
and chints painters, who are the people best acquainted with this 
root, say its colouring powers improve by keeping for that length 
of time; a fortunate circumstance for its exportation to Europe. 
When the wild sort can be had in any quantity, it is esteemed 
one-third, or one-fourth stronger, and, which is of more conse- 
quence, yields a better colour: and when these roots can be had of 
two years growth, they are reckoned still better, but the farmer 
does not find it answers his purpose to let it be longer in the ground 
than one season. 
The woody part of the root is white and tasteless, it is the bark 
only that is possessed of the colouring principle; when fresh it 1s 
orange-coloured, tinges the spittle yellow, and leaves a light degree 
of acrimony on the point of the tongue for some hours after chew- 
ing; to appearance it loses its yellow colour in drying, but still 
retains the abovementioned properties on being chewed. It im- 
OLDENLANDIA UMBELLATA. 4 
pregnates cold water or spirits of a straw colour; to boiling water 
The watery infusions and spi- 
rituous tinctures are changed into a bright and deep red by alka- 
it gives a brownish porter colour. 
line substances; and are rendered paler, or nearly destroyed, by 
acids. I have tried various experiments to enable me to dye red 
with this root (I may say two or three hundred), in a more expedi- 
tious and less troublesome way than what the natives follow, but 
all with no satisfactory success ; it is therefore unnecessary for me 
to detail these experiments in this place (however, I doubt not but 
a person well acquainted with the art of dying might effect it) ; all 
that is necessary for me to say at present, is to give the process for 
dying, painting, or printing red with this root, as practised by the 
natives in the cae 
A receipt for dying red with these roots, as acted in the Ma- 
sulipatam district, suppose one square yard of pretty fine cotton 
cloth, which has been previously bleached. 
First. Take of the coarsely powdered root one or one and a 
half ounce, boil it gently for a few minutes in three pints of soft 
water ; in this dip the cloth repeatedly for a few minutes, wring 
and wash it out in cold water, and dry it in strong sunshine upon 
sand or gravel. 
This first operation is to take out any remains of rhe quick-lime, 
&c. employed by the bleachers in whitening the cloth. 
Second day. Take half an ounce of the outer covering of cadu- 
cay nuts (nuts of Terminalia citrina), in powder, mix it in a pint 
of cold water,* let it stand a little, then strain it through a bit of 
thin rag, with this mix a third part of fresh buffalo’s milk (I believe 
cow’s milk is as good); in this wash or rub the cloth thoroughly, 
wring it gently, and dry it in the sun. 
Third day. The cloth is washed out in cold water; yesterday's 
operation repeated ; + when finished, the cloth feels very harsh ; to 
soften it, it is folded up and very well beetled. 
Fourth day. A quarter of an ounce of alum and as much turme- 
rick in powder are infused ina pint of cold water for a few hours ; 
the bectled cloth is now spread out on grass, and exceedingly well 
rubbed with the above mixture; when dry (if to be coloured on 
both sides) it is turned, and equally well rubbed with the same 
mixture on the other side; then dried and put by. t 
Fifth day. This day the cloth is only well washed in cold wa- 
ter, and dried in the sun. 
Sixth day. The fourth day’s operation of rubbing both sides, kc. 
is repeated. 
Seventh day. Wash it well in cold water, and while moist, wet 
it in a cold infusion of a little powdered caducay; dry it in the sun 
or shade. 
The Malabars omit this part of the operation. 
Eighth day. ‘Take six pints of water and a pound of chay root, 
put them on the fire, and when scalding hot put the unwashed 
cloth into it, to be kept in a scalding heat, stirring and turning the 
cloth frequently for three or four hours; the waste of water may be 
supplied by now and then adding to it; the cloth is suffered to 
remain in the liquor till cold, then wring it out half dry, and again 
return it into the same decoction, which is now made to boil gently 
* Over the southern parts of the coast the powdered caducay is exceedingly well boiled 
in water, and the strained decoction mixed with only a fourth part of milk. 
+ To the southward this operation is performed in the same manner, but with only one- 
eighth of milk to the water and caducay. Beetling the same. 
t~ South among the Malabars, this operation differs much from the above ; it is done as 
follows. Take of sapan wood (Cesalpinia sappan) in shavings one ounce, water a pint 
and a half, mix and let them stand for two days, then boil them till a third is gone; to 
this decoction while hot add three-quarters of an ounce of powdered alum, with this the 
cloth is rubbed on both sides, &c. as is done above with turmerick, &c. on the fourth, fifth 
and sixth day. 
