BURSERACE^E. 



Nat. syst. ed. 2. p. 110. 



PROTIUM. 



Flowers polygamous. Calyx campanulate, 4-toothed, persist- 

 ent. Petals 4, linear-oblong, inserted under the margin of the 

 torus ; aestivation valvular, the margin curved in. Stamens 8, 

 shorter than the corolla, glabrous, inserted under the margin of 

 torus. Torus cup-shaped, fleshy, deeply crenated. Ovary ses- 

 sile, 2-celled ; ovules 2 in each cell, collateral, suspended from 

 the middle of the axis. Style very short: stigma obtuse, 

 4-lobed. Drupe globose or ovate ; nut thick and very hard, 

 bony, 2-celled (one of the cells by abortion often obliterated,) 

 at length divisible into 2 nuts. Seed solitary in each perfect 

 cell. — Trees giving out balsam. Leaves unequally pinnated : 

 leaflets 3-7, without dots. IV. and A. 



334. P. gileadense W. and A. i. 177 — Balsamodendron Gile- 

 adense DC. prodr. ii. 76. Amyris gileadensis Linn. mant. 65. 

 Vahl. symb. i. 28. 1. 11. Amyris Opobalsamum Forsk. descr. 79. 



BaXa-apov ^svipov Theoph. BaXo-apov Dioscorides. — Arabia ; neigh- 

 bourhood of the Caravanserai of Oude, not far from Haes Forsk. 

 East Indies Wight. Beder in Ethiopia Bruce. 



A middle-sized tree, with divaricating branches and a smooth ash- 

 coloured bark. Leaves ternate ; leaflets smooth, flat, entire, the lateral 

 ones ovate, the middle ones obovate. Flowers monoecious. Pedun- 

 cles solitary or several together, terminal, filiform, 1-flowered. Calvx 

 campanulate, 4-toothed. Petals 4, linear, erect, obtuse. Stamens 8, 

 shorter than the corolla. Disk annular, cup-shaped, fleshy, with an 

 elevation on the outside between each stamen. Fruit, fleshy, ovate, 

 acute, smooth, with 4 sutures, 1-2-celled, with a tenacious viscid pulp. 

 Seed solitary. — The wounded bark yields opobalsamum according to 

 Forskal. This, which is*also called Balsam of Mecca, is reckoned by the 

 Orientals a perfect panacea; being according to them stomachic, vul- 

 nerary, alexipharmic, &c. &c. According to Prosper Alpinus its 

 different qualities depend upon its mode of preparation. I have taken 

 up an abridgment of Forskal's account of this plant ; but it is thought 

 by some that the Indian and Arabian species may be different. A 

 supposed variety from Mecca is mentioned with bipinnate leaves. 



335. P. Kafal. — Amyris K afal Forsk. 80. Balsamodendron 

 Kafal Knnth. gen. tereb. 16. DC. prodr. ii. 76. — Arabia. 



Young leaflets villous, acute, serrated at the point, old ones smooth, 

 often obtuse. Branches slightly spiny. Fruit compressed, with an 

 elevated ridge on each side, and a black prominent point at the apex. 

 — A very fragrant balsam is obtained from the fruit of this tree. The 

 gum resin is purgative. Forsk. 

 169 



