86 NAT. ORDER. MEMSPERMACEiE. 



number were distributed among the vai-ious districts of Mauritius 

 and Bourbon. JNIany of these plants blossomed at ^lauritius, in 

 the course of a year, but the flowers all proved male. The roots, 

 however, had during that time multiplied to twenty or thirty times 

 the original quantity ; and thus an opportunity was given for dis- 

 tributing them still more extensively. The female plants flowered 

 at Seychelles, and Mr. G. Harrison, the government agent there, 

 transmitted some of these roots to ]\Ir. Telfair, in whose garden 

 of Bois Cheri, in the Mauritius, they have flowered ; and being 

 fecundated by Prof Boyer, who touched them with the pollen of 

 the male blossom, they bore seeds. From these individuals, the 

 drawings by Prof Boyer have been taken, which give a delineation 

 and dissection of every part. 



Sensible and Chemical Properties. Calumha root is bitter, and 

 slightly aromatic ; it breaks with a starchy fracture, and is easily 

 pulverized ; externally of a brown, wrinkled appearance ; inter- 

 nalh' yellow. The woody part of the root should be of a light 

 yellow color, somewhat solid and heavy. Its smell is weak, with 

 a slight aromatic odor. Boiling water takes up about one-third 

 of its weight ; the infusion has the sensible qualities of the root ; 

 it is not altered by sulphate of iron, nitrate of silver, corrosive 

 sublimate, nor by emetic tartar ; but it is copiously precipitated 

 by acetate of lead, tincture of nutgalls, lime-water, and ^'ellow 

 cinchona bark. It gives out its properties also to alcohol, and 

 proof spirit ; but the latter is the best menstruum. It affords an 

 essential oil by repeated distillation with water ; the remaining 

 decoction yields malate and sulphate of lime. M. Blanche ob- 

 tained from this root one-third its weight of starch ; a yellow, bit- 

 ter resin ; a small quantity of volatile oil ; salts of lime and potass ; 

 oxide of iron ; silex ; and a large proportion of a substance which 

 resembled animal matter. We are told that a spurious calumha 

 root is met with in some parts of France, which is imported from 

 the states of Barbary. It is known by its not containing starch ; 



