MYROSPERMUM. 



582. M. peruiferum DC.prodr. ii. 95. S. and C.ii. t. 102. 

 — Myroxylum peruiferum Linn. f. suppl. 233. Lamb, illustr. 

 cinch. 92. t. 1. M. pedicellatum Lam. diet. iv. 191. illustr. 

 t. 341. f. 1. — Forests of Peru ; low, warm, sunny situations 

 near the river Maranon. (Quinquino.) 



A tree, with a thick, straight, smooth trunk. Bark grey, coarse, com- 

 pact, heavy, granulated, pale straw-colour inside, filled with resin which, 

 according to its quantity, changes the colour to citron, yellow, red, or 

 dark chesnut ; smell and taste grateful, balsamic and aromatic. Leaves 

 pinnated ; leaflets alternate, of 2, 3, 4 or even 5 pairs, ovate-lanceolate, 

 acute, coriaceous, at the apex somewhat emarginate, shining above, 

 hairy on the underside, marked with transparent spots, the terminal 

 one the same size as the others. Racemes axillary, longer than the 

 leaves. Calyx cainpanulate, nearly equally five-toothed, with the odd 

 tooth remote from the others. Petals 5, white ; the upper reflexed, 

 broad, roundish, emarginate ; the other 4 distinct, linear-lanceolate 

 reflexed, spreading. Stamens 10, distinct, spreading, shorter than the 

 petals ; anthers mucronate. Samaras pendulous, straw-coloured, pe 

 dicellate, linear-oblong, about 2 inches in length, compressed, mem- 

 branous, except at the apex which is obliquely rounded, clavate, 

 1-celled, 1-seeded. Seed reniform, lying in yellow liquid balsam, 

 which hardens into resin. — The stem yields the fragrant bitter aroma- 

 tic balsam, called Balsam of Peru, having stimulant tonic expectorant 

 properties, and employed in palsy, chronic asthma, gleet, leucorrhcea 

 &c. Applied externally in the form of plaster it mitigates headach 

 and toothach : the balsam closes recent wounds. Ruiz. 



583. M. toluiferum Ach. Rich. ami. sc. 1824. ii. p. 172. 

 DC. prodr. ii. 95. — Toluifera Balsamum Mill. diet. No. 1. 



Woodv. iii. 526. t. 193. bad. Myroxylon Toluifera HBK- 

 vi. 375. — Mountains of Turbaco near Carthagena ; and extremely 

 common in the high savannahs of Tolu, near Corozol and Villa 

 Tacasuan. 



Very like the last but different as follows. Leaflets thin, mem- 

 branous, obovate, taper pointed ; the terminal one larger than the 

 others. — The warm, sweet, fragrant, solid stimulant balsam called 

 Balsam of Tolu is obtained from this tree. It is used in coughs, 

 chronic pulmonary complaints and on account of its flavour. In the 

 last edition of the London Pharmacopoeia it is said to be the concrete 

 Balsam of the last species ; and this agrees with the statement of 

 Ruiz. Guibourt however and most other writers consider the Balsam 

 of Tolu the produce of this species. 



279 T 4 



