180 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [Leguminose. 
accession of the rains, when the addition of moisture to the heat is indicated; as the 
mangoes only perfectly ripen, after the atmosphere has become moist in the rains. 
Odina Wodier ; Roxb. F1. Ind. 11. p. 293. v. Tab. 31. fig. 2. Flowering branch of a male plant. 
(a. b.) Male flowers. (c.d,) A fertile flower. (e.) The fruit. (/.) Leaves expanding after the flowers, 
As a full description has been given by Dr. Roxburgh of this plant, it is necessary only to mention 
that it is common every where in the hilly parts of India, and produces a useful resin, as mentioned in 
the text. 
61. MORINGEZ. 
This order, consisting of only a single genus, and but few species, has been separated 
from Leguminose by Mr. Brown, on account of its compound unilocular ovarium, with 
3 parietal placente, and simple unilocular antheree. Moringa pterygosperma, of which 
M. polygona is supposed to be a variety, is common in the Peninsula, and most parts 
of India. I have seen it in a wild state in the jungle which skirts the Himalaya, even 
in the most northern parts. /: aptera appears to be confined to Arabia and Egypt, 
and though mentioned as belonging to India, I have not been able to trace it to any 
part of that country. This species is supposed to be the true Ban of the Arabians, 
and its seeds to have formed the Ben-nuts, of old writers, from which the Ben-oil 
was expressed, formerly more famed than it is at present. In India, the Arabian 
synonyme Ban, is applied both to the bukayun, Melia bukayun, and to the Sohunjna, 
or Moringa pterygosperma ; from the seeds of which, both in the northern and southern 
parts of India, an oil is procured, which is described as not becoming rancid. Being 
inodorous, it is now chiefly employed for retaining the aroma of delicate flowers, and 
though aperient, is seldom used as medicine. The flowers, leaves, and tender seed- 
vessels, are eaten by the natives of India in their curries; and the roots are universally 
known to European residents in India, as a substitute for the horse-radish. They 
are remarkable for their pungent and stimulant nature, and are employed for the latter 
property by the natives in medicine, 
62. LEGUMINOS&. 
The Leguminose form one of the most important orders of the vegetable kingdom, 
whether we consider their numbers, their diversity of form, or their important uses, as 
food, medicine, or in the arts. In consequence of the irritability of the leaves of many 
of the species and their collapsion during sleep, they have been considered by some 
authors as the most highly organized, and therefore placed at the head of the vegetable 
kingdom. They may be almost universally recognised (Detarium is the only exception) 
by the form of fruit from which they are named. They form in almost every country a 
considerable portion of the flora. In the present collection they amount to 300 species, 
~ which is about +!5 of the whole. The hill specimens being to those found in the plains 
in the proportion nearly of 92 to 208. 3 
“ge Mine Brown has divided the Leguminose into the three orders of Mimosee, Cesalpinee, 
and Papilionacee; which he considers belong to one class, and which he is still of 
opinion it is expedient to preserve. They certainly form very-natural groups, the two 
first 
