LEGUMINOSA. 401 
_ impetigo.” In Pudukota, C. retusa, Linn. (Bot. Mag. 
q £.2561; Rheede, Hort. Mal. ix. t, 25), is used for the same 
. _ purpose. 33 sericea, Retz., is used in Bengal, and GS: 
| medicaginea, Lam.,in the Punjab. C. Burhia, Hamilt., 
3 called Khip, Sis and Kharsan in the vernaculars, is con- 
q Becered to be very cooling; it is a naked looking, bushy plant, 
common in the arid diubetéte OF Northern India, which has 
1 “the smell of broom when bruised. 
3 C. juncea is extensively cultivated for its fibres, from which 
2 . tow is prepared. The nets of the Bombay fishermen are made 
Sof this fibre which is very strong and tans well. After the 
_ bark has been removed, the stems of the plant, which are per- 
fectly straight and unbranched, are sold to the toy-makers ; 
or cut in short lengths and dipped i in brimstone to make fire- 
lighters for the Parsees, whose religion ferbids them to blow 
fire when lighting or extinguishing it. 
The Crotalarias appear to be used medicinally on account 
their mucilaginous and emollient properties ; the leaves might 
used as a poultice like Althea leaves. 
Chemical composition.—Mr. J.G. Prebble, who has examined 
e leaves of C. retusa and QO. medicaginea, informs us that 
ey contain abundance of mucilage, a little solid fat, and a 
Sin soluble in ether, which does not form a reddish solution 
with potash. The leaves of O. medicaginea contain also a trace 
_TRIGONELLA FC:NUM- GRACUM, Linn. 
Fenugreek (Eng. ) , Fenugrec (F'r.). 
Hab.—Cashmere, Punjab, Upper Gangetic Plain. Widely 
cultivated. The seed and herb. 
Vernacular.—Méthi (Hind., Mar., Guz., Beng.), Vendayam 
(Tam.), Mentula (Tel.), Menthya, Mente (Can. ). 
History, Uses, &e. —Fenugreek has 
: eee ; it was much valued by - ancients both as a food 
Fig.—sinth., Fl. Gree., t. 766; Bentl. and Trim., t. 71. 
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a history of great > : 
