STORAX. 249 
second product of this tree, known as “ Soft or White Liquidam- 
bar,” consists partly of the opaque deposit above-mentioned, and 
partly of that portion of the balsam which has flowed from the 
tree and thickened by exposure to the air; these are probably 
melted together. It is of the consistence of a very thick turpen- 
tine or soft pitch; opaque, whitish in colour, and less odorous 
than the preceding. It contains benzoic acid, which frequently 
effloresces on the surface. By exposure to the air it solidifies and 
becomes almost transparent, but retains its odour. It is fre- 
quently used to adulterate the White Balsam Peru, but is 
distinguishable from it by taste and by a bitterness which it 
acquires by exposure to the air. Pereira says it is quite different 
from a genuine sample of the White Balsam of Peru received by 
him from Guatemala, and equally different from genuine “liquid 
storax.” 
A thick dark-coloured opaque substance is obtained from the 
young branches of this species by boiling them in water and 
skimming off the fluid balsam which rises to the surface. This 
also has been confounded with liquid storax. 
The balsam previously referred to as ‘‘ Rose Malloes,” from the 
Indian Archipelago, is produced by the Liguidambar Altingia, 
Blume (Altingia excelsa, Noronha), a native of those islands and of 
Burmah and Assam. In Java this tree is said to attain an 
immense size. The word Ras-Sama-la is variously corrupted into 
Resmal, Rosum Aloes, and Rose Malloes. The odoriferous semi- 
fluid resin is not abundant, and does not resemble “ liquid storax.” 
Two sorts of balsam are obtained from this tree in Burmah ; the 
one is pellucid, of a clear yellow colour, obtained by simple 
incision of the bark ; the other thick, dark, opaque, and of terebe- 
naceous odour, obtained by applying heat to the tree after 
wounding it. 
Resin of Liguidambar Formosana, Hance.—The tree furnishing 
this resin is supposed to be identical with the Styrax liguida folio 
minore, mentioned by Ray* as being amongst a collection of 
plants from Amoy. It is a native of Formosa and the south of 
China. It yields a hard resin which has an agreeable odour when 
warmed. The tree is figured in Hooker’s ‘Icones Plantarum,’ 
series 3,1. tab. 1020. 
* Hist. Plant. ili. Append. p. 233. 
