CONCERNING THE POPINAC 



Editor of the Bulletin: 



Among the specimens contributed for the Museum grounds 

 by members of the Natural History Society, and listed in the 

 March number of the Bulletin, was a "white opoponax {Acacia)", 

 by Mrs. J. C. T. Though never having seen it, I am interested 

 in the stranger, white acacia; and hope to elicit some informa- 

 tion regarding it. My knowledge of the acacia family is limited to 

 the little yellow, fragrant popinac, or opoponax {Acacia Farnesi- 

 ana), so great a favorite in many of our city gardens. But from 

 childhood I have been acquainted with the Mimosa (exotic), now 

 so common in this country — a beautiful object indeed, with its 

 graceful, pinnate, airy foliage, and sweet scented pink flowers. 

 The long silken stamens, several hundred in number, impart to 

 the flower a globose, yet extremely dehcate appearance. 



There is a native kindred species of Mimosa, Desmanthus, grow- 

 ing along the Missississippi River, which bears white flowers. 

 What relation is the "white opoponax" to Desmanthusf 



Our favorite little acacia, the popinac, has another pet name, 

 which to me is quite puzzling, viz., opoponax. Whence is the ori- 

 gin? The association of this word with the httle golden balls of 

 deUcious spiciness is not pleasing; and strange is the fact that 

 there is on the market a choice perfume distilled from these flow- 

 ers, supposedly, and labelled opoponax! 



For some occult reason the term looms up as a secret enemy to 

 be ferreted out and brought to light. So I got on the hunt with 

 the encyclopedias, and discovered the interloper entrenched behind 

 a huge parsnip! Jesting aside, it is found that Opoponax is a 

 genus of Umbelliferous plants of which the parsnip is the type. 

 The species from which the officinal gum resin is obtained is 0. 

 chironiuni, described as a very large, long, tap root from which 

 the gum exudes when punctured for the purpose of collecting it. 

 It is indigenous to Asia Minor, Turkey, and the East Indies. 



We are told that this gum was very highly esteemed by the an- 

 cient ph3'^sicians as an antiseptic, antispasmodic, etc. 



The acacia family {Leguminoseae, Sub Order Mimoseae) is one 

 of varied utility, furnishing many valuable gums, gum arable per- 

 haps the most familiar. 



Mimosa is distinguished for the production of rosewood, from 

 a Brazilian species. 



E. L. H. Willis. 

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