358 SAPOTACEA.. 
into two portions: an outer or cortical, consisting of smaller 
cells, and an inner consisting of large cells ; it is traversed by 
numerous bundles of spiral vessels ; some of the cells contain 
crystalline masses of sugar; all of them granular matter ; there 
is no starch. | 
* The seeds are from 1 to 2 inches long, and enclosed in a 
chestnut coloured thin shell; they have a peculiar odour and 
bitter aromatic taste. The latex of these trees is a milky 
liquid, sticky to the touch, when kept it developes a rancid 
sour odour; it contains, besides the gutta-percha, some starch 
and about 88 per cent. of water. : 
Chemical composition.—Bassia flowers have been examined 
by Church (1886), who found them to have the, following com- 
position :— 
Cane sugar 3°2 
Inverted sugar 52°6 
Other matters sol. in water .......... Py he 
Cellulose der Saar 
Albuminous substances 2°2 
Ash 4°8 
Water at 100° C iy heshesic fs cesnieg UBD 
Undetermined matter 1256 
. MM. A. Riche and A. Rémont (Journ. de Pharm, et de 
Ohim., 1880,) found in the flowers of B. longifolia 60 per cent- 
of fermentable sugars and 8°50 per cent. of crystallizable 
_ In a paper read before the Society of Chemical Industry, 
1887, Mr. H.S. Elsworthy gave the composition of trade 
samples of the flowers of B. latifolia :-— a 
: Total 
ee Invert sugar. Dextro-gl : é 
1. Hyderabad 17-1 40-0 ; Sapam ra 
2. Jubbulpore 46 414 -. 46-0 
3. Guzerat = 96 Taps 2: a  54°9 
4. eet 
* Mikeepors! > OPE Oeee . : Seeiec tae, 
