FRUCTUS CARDAMOMI. G47 



contain. Good .samples afford about three-fourths of their weight of 



seeds/ 



/3) 



known in trade as Ceylon Cardamoms, are from 1 to 2 inches in length, 

 and yV to yV of an inch in breadth, distinctly three-sided, often arched, 

 and always of a dark greyish-brown. The seeds are larger and more 

 numerous than those of the Malabar plant, and somewhat different in 

 odour and taste. 



Microscopic Structure— The testa of the seed consists of three 

 distinct layers, namely an exterior of thick-walled, spirally-striated cells, 

 .somewhat longitudinally extended, and exhibiting on transverse section, 

 square, not very large, cavities ; then a row of large cells with_ thni 

 transverse walls ; and finally, an internal layer of deep broAvn, radially- 

 arranged cells, the w^alls of which have so thick a deposit that at the 



most only small cavities remain. 



The granular, colourless, sac-.shaped albumen encloses a horny endo- 

 sperm, in which the embryo is inserted the projecting radicle benig 

 directed towards the hilum. The cells of the albumen have the form 

 of elongated polyhedra, almost entirely tilled with very small starch 

 granules. Besides them, there occur in most of the cells, somewhat 

 larger masses of albuminoid matter having a rhombohedric form, dis- 

 tinctly observable when thin slices of the seed are examined under 

 almond oil in polarized light. These remarkable crystalloid bodies 

 resemble those occurring in the seeds of cumin (p. 382). 



Chemical Composition— The parenchyme of the albumen and 

 embryo is loaded with fatty oil and essential oil, the former existing 

 in the seed to the extent of about 10 per cent. , 



The percentage of essential oil is stated by Messrs. Sehimmel k Lo., 





Madras 



the Ceylon. 



tlemen presented us (187G) with a crystallized deposit from the latter 

 oil, which appears to be identical with common campliov. its alcoholic 

 solution deviates the plane of polarization to the right, apparently to 

 the same amount as that of common camphor (see also oil ot spike, 



p. 479). 



Dumas and Pdligot (1834) state to have obtained from f^ essential 

 uii of cardamoms (inodorous?) crystals of terpm,0 H + "^ ^f " / "^ 

 ash of cardamoms, in common with that of several other plants ot the 

 feanie order, is remarkably rich in manganese.^ 



Commerce-There are no statistics to show the prod"c|ion ot 

 cardamoms in the south of India or even the quantity ^^P^^f • f/^^^^ 



^Wpments in the year 1872-73 from Bombay, to ^'^^f P^,^V^^^%tt" of 

 largely sent from the Madras Presidency, amounted to^l,boU c^^t., oi 



S;r:i:n.n:^i: pl^^^^S C;;^^^ therefore of ^^^^^ 

 >vere exported from that island in 1872 to the^ extent of 9,2/3 Ib.-the 

 ^vhole quantity being .shipped to the United kingdom. 



(Information from the laboratory accounts for 1 872. >*• y • /«• ^ . j g^o, Colombo, 

 of Messrs. AUen and Hanburys, Plough , *.V'v^7" '^" iwok jv 

 Court, Lombard Str. ) 1 ^ ^ ■^- ^^^- 



