CALTCIFLOR^. 517 



others bitter, purgative, or anthelmintic; and a few furnish 

 useful timber. The more important plants are as follows : — 



Amyris. — A. hexandra and A. Plumieri have been stated to yield a portion 

 of theElemi of commerce, but there is no proof wliatever of such being the 

 case. A. halsamifera is reputed to furnish one kind of Lignum Rhodium. 

 A. toxifera, as its name implies, is regarded as poisonous. 



Balanites cegyptiaca has slightly acid leaves, which are reputed to be 

 anthelmintic, while the unripe fruits are acrid, bitter, and purgative ; they 

 are eaten, however, when ripe. The seeds of this plant also yield by ex- 

 pression, a fixed oil of a fatty nature, called zachun in Egypt, where the 

 plant is cultivated. 



Balsamodendron.—B. Myrrha is generally regarded as supplying the gum- 

 resin known in commerce under the name of Myrrh. It is called in Hebrew 

 mor or mur, and is mentioned in the Old Testament for the first time, in 

 Gen. sxxvii. 25 ; hence it must have been in use for more than 3500 years. 

 The plant or plants yielding MjTrh, for it is not yet altogether certain from 

 whence it is derived, are natives of Africa and the adjoining parts of Arabia. 

 Medicinally, myrrh is regarded as tonic, stimulant, expectorant, and anti- 

 spasmodic, when taken internally ; and as an external application it is 

 astringent and stimulant. The substance called Balm of Gilead or Balm of 

 Mecca, and which is supposed to be the Baln\ of the Old Testament, is said to 

 be procured from Balsamodendron Gileadense, although some authors say 

 that it is the produce of B. Opobalsamuin. The gum -resin knomi as Indian 

 Bdellium or false myrrh (the Bdellium of Scripture), is also probably de- 

 rived from species of Balsamodendron, namely, B. nnikul and B. pubescens, 

 BdelUum is the Gtigul of the Indian Materia iledica, and the Mokul of the 

 Persians. It is very similar to myrrh. According to some writers, Indian 

 Bdellium is the produce of Ai7iyris commiphora. African Bdellium is said 

 to be the produce of B. africanum. The inner bark of B. pubescens peels off 

 in thin white layers like that of Bosicellia papynfera, (see below). 



Bosicellia.— The gum-resin, known under the name of Olibanum, is de- 

 rived from species of this genus. The name Olibanum appears to be derived 

 fi'om the Greek At/Sai/o?. It is the Lebonah of the Hebrews, and the Incense 

 or Frankincense of the Bible. Olibanum or Frankincense is now princi- 

 pally obtained from Arabia and the Soumali country in Africa. Three 

 species of Bosicellia, natives of the Soumali country, have been recently de- 

 scribed by Dr. Birdwood, who has named them B. Carterii, B. Bhandajiana, 

 and B. Frereana. These plants are the principal botanical sources of the 

 Arabian or African Olibanum of commerce. The kind known as East In- 

 dian Olibanum is supposed to be derived from B. thui-ifera (serrata), but we 

 have no reliable evidence upon this subject. Olibanum is chiefly used for 

 fumigation. B. papyrifera, a native of Abyssinia, also yieltls a fragrant 

 gum-resin. This tree is also remarkable on account of its inner bark, which 

 peels off in thin white layers, which may be used as paper. 



Bursera gummifera and B. acuminata yield fragrant resinous substances, 

 — that from the f oi-mer, is termed Chibou or Cachibou resin, — that from the 

 latter. Resin of Carana. 



Canarium. — C. commune is the probable source of Manilla Elemi, the 

 officinal Elemi of the British Pharmacopoeia. Elemi is used as an external 

 stimtilant application to indolent ulcers, &c. The kernels of C. conijnune, 

 knoA\-n as Java Almonds, also yield by expres.sion a bland oil, which re- 

 sembles almond oil in its properties. C. balsamlferum of Ceylon, and C. 

 album, a native of the Philippine Islands, also yield fragrant resinous sub- 

 stances resembUng Elemi. C. strictum is the principal, if not the only soiu'ce 

 of the Black Dammar of Southern India. It is said to be a good substitute 

 for Burgundy Pitch. This resin is sometimes, however, said to be obtained 

 from Vutica Tumbugaia, a tree of the oi'der Dipteraceas (see Vatica). 



Elaphrium. — E. elemiferum jnelds the concrete resinous substance, kno'mi 

 as Mexican Elemi. E. tomentosum also produces one of the resinous sub- 

 stances called Tacamahac. E. graveolens, a native of Mexico, is reputed to 

 be the source of a wood recently imported under the name of Mexican Lign- 



