82 



BURSERIACEiE. II. Balsamodendron. III. Icica. 



^f 



>/ 



There is a red sweet-scented powder 



to be got, even at Constantinople ; that on applying some of it obtained from it, which the women in Arabia use to wash and 

 to her face it became swelled and red during three days, but that cleanse their heads. 



Kataf- 



Tree 14 feet. 



her complexion was much mended by the operation ; and that the 



ladies all use it in Constantinople, and have the loveliest bloom 



in the world,^ An inferior sort of balsam is prepared' from serrated at the apex, younger ones villous ; berry compressed, 



boiling the twigs in a quantity of water, and the balsamic matter with a prominent dot at the apex. ^ . G. Native of Arabia, 



4 B. Ka'fal (Kunth, I.e.) leaves palmately- trifoliate; leaflets 



rises to the surface and is skimmed off. After they have thus 

 procured all they can, it is said that they push the fire, and a 

 large quantity of thicker balsam, like turpentine, rises, which is 

 preserved by itself, and is that principally which we have in 

 Europe. The other can only be obtained by presents ; and 

 that which naturally distils from tlie trees hardly supplying the 

 seraglio and great officers, there is none of it 

 of the country. Hasselquist describes the Balsam of Mecca 

 as being yellow and pellucid, with a most fragrant resinous bal- 

 samic smell, as being very tenacious, and drawing out into long 

 threads ; that it Is taken to tlie quantity of 3 grains to strengthen a 



sent out 



ifaL Amyris Kafal, Forsk. eg. p. 80. The 

 balsam obtained from this tree is purgative; 

 Kafal'tvee. Tree 20 feet. 



f A si^ecies j^crhajys allied to the present genus. 



5 B. ? Zeyla'nicum (Kunth, 1. c.) leaves imparl -pinnate, with 

 5-7 stalked, ovate, acute leaflets ; racemes of flowers inter- 

 rupted, downy; flowers 3-petalled, hexandrous. T2 , S. Native 

 of Ceylon. Amyris Zeylanica, Retz. obs. 4. p. 25. From this 

 tree flows the Gum elemi of the East, but it is truly distinct from 

 the American elemi. Calyx 3-toothed. Drupe dry, containing 



This 



weak stomach, and that it is a niost excellent remedy for wounds. ? ^""""f , ^^^^^ ^'^^- ^^^^^^^^ glomerated involucrated. 



To know whether it is adulterated, drop some in a glass, and !? P^'^^^^ly a proper genus, or a species of Co/ai^/zoma, judging 



if it remains still on the surface it is of little or no use, but if it ^'""^ '^^ ""T^.^' ^^ P^'^'^^' 



extends itself over the surface it is then of the best kind. The 

 drugs used to adulterate this balsam arc oil of sesamum, Cyprus 

 turpentine, and ostrich fat. According to Bruce the tree is 



Ceylon Balsam-tree. Tree. 



Cult. See Boswellia for culture and propagation, p. 81. 



III. ICI 'CA {Icica is the name of one of the species i 



tuipc-iitmc, anu ustneii lau /\ccorcung 10 r>ruce tue tree is . ill. lUl ^CA (yc?ca is the name of one of the species m 

 5 or 6 feet high, branching much, w^ith the aspect of a standard Guiana). Aubl. guian. 1. p. 3S7. Juss. gen. 370. Kunth, 



gen. tereb. 17. 



D. C. prod. 2. p. 77, 



Lin. syst. Octo-Decchnhia, Monogijnia. Flowers usually 

 hermaphrodite. Calyx 4-5-toothed, permanent. Petals 4-5, 

 broadest at the base, and inserted under the disk, valvatein 

 aestivation. Stamens 8«10. Ovary 4-5-celled, each cell con- 



taining 2 ovula. 



Disk orbicular. 



ijjo. Strabo alone, of all 



Style short. Stigmas 4-5. 

 Fruit coriaceous (f. 17. c), 2-3-valved, including 4-5 httle nuts 

 (f. 17. c?.), which are covered with pulp, each containing 1 seed. 



Leaves imparl-pinnate, free 

 Racemes panicled, axillary, and terminal, usually 



Seeds without albumen, resinous, 

 of dots. 



simple. Flowers of all the species white. 



1 I. ennea'ndra (Aubl. guian. 1. p. 345. t. 134.) leaflets 

 S-5^ stalked, ovate, entire, acuminated, tapering to the base, 

 netted with veins ; panicles racemose, longer than the petioles. 



Tp f S. Native of Frpnrh Oninn;i in iA7r»riflc ixrliAr^ if- i« called 



Arouaou 



Q 



spec. %. p. S35. A very fragrant resinous juice flows from 

 bark of the tree. 



Nine 



cherry-tree, having red branches and white flowers. The young 

 shoots were formerly cut off and tied up in faggots, and sent 

 to Venice to make the Theriaca or Venice treacle, when 

 bruised or drawn by fire. From very early ages great value 

 has been set upon this drug in the East, We know from 

 Scripture, that the Ishmaelites, or Arabian carriers and mer- 

 chants, trafficking with Indian commodities to Egypt, brought 

 with them balm as ])art of their 



the ancients, has given us an account of the place of its 

 origin. " Near to this," he says, ** is the most happy land 

 of Saheans, and tliry are a very great people. Among them 

 frankincense, myrrh, and cinnamon grow, and in the coast that 

 is about Saba the balsam also. Among the myrrh trees behind 

 Azab, all along the coasts to the straits of Babclmandeb is its 

 native country." We need not doubt but that it w^as early trans- 

 planted into Arabia, that is into the south part of Arabia Felix, 

 immediately fronting Azab. The first plantation that succeeded 

 deems to have been at Petra, the ancient metropolis of Arabia, 

 now called Beder or Beder Hunein. Afterwards being trans- 

 planted into Palestine, it obtained the name of Balsamum Ju- 

 daicinn and Balm of Gilead, and became an article of commerce 

 there. There were three productions obtained from the tree 

 much esteemed among the ancients, the first was called Opobal- 

 sammn, or juice of balsam, which was the finest kind, composed 

 of the greenish liquor foifnd in the kernel of the fruit ; the next 

 was Carpohalsamnm, made by the expression of the fruit when 

 at maturity ; the third was Xylobalsamiim, worst of all ; it was 

 an expression or decoction of the young twigs, of a reddish 

 colour. But the principal quantity of balsam at all times was 

 produced by incision, as at the present day. The wound is 

 made by an axe when the juice is in its strongest circulation, In 

 July and August. It is then received into small earthen bot- 

 tles, and every day's produce is poured into a larger, which is fluid ysemblinrTurpe^^^ 

 kept closely corked. Ihe balsam of JuJta appears to be the 

 same balsam adulterated. 



Opohafsamum or Balsam of Mecca tree. Tree 14 feet. 



3 B. Ka'taf (Kunth, 1. c.) leaves palmately trifoliate ; leaflets 

 smooth, serrated at the apex; pedicels biiid ; berry globose, 

 umbilicate at the apex. ^i. G. Native of Arabia Felix. 

 Amyris Kataf, Forsk. descr. p. 80. Vahl. symb. 1. p. 28. 



Native of French Guiana in woods, where it is called 

 . Petals 5-6. Stamens 9. Amyris enneandra, Will^- 



n. .^.S.^. A VfiW rvafrvQnf THicin/Mio \\i\r*a fli^TT^e A-niTI tflC 



Git. 1822. Tree 30 feet. 



2 I. iieteropuy'lla (D. C. prod. 2. p. 77.) leaves ternate or 



pinnate ; leaflets stalked, ovate, 

 acuminated, entire, simply veined ; 

 racemes simple, rather shorter than 

 the leaves, b . S. Native of 



FIG. 17. 



in 



woods 



at the river 



Guiana, 



Courou, where it is called Aracou- 

 chini. Icica Aracouchini, Aubl. 

 guian. l.p. 314. t. 133. Amyris 

 heterophylla, Willd. spec. 2. p. 

 335. On the slightest incision 

 being made in the bark of this 

 tree, a yellow, balsamic, aromatic 



out in great quantities, which re- 

 tains its fluidity a long time, even 

 when exposed to the air. The 

 inhabitants of Guiana use this fluid 



to cure wounds, and they carry with them always the little nu ^ 



of the fruit, which retain their scent, and which they name ^/^^f 



, , , , , ^ , -o- rr.! . -, , , ' ^'"'^*'- 1 li^y send presents of them to their friends as somethmg 



Mart. akad. munch. 6. p. 1 / 8. This tree probably also pro- very precious. The Caribbees perfume with the balsam the oU 



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