OF THE MOKINDA CITRIFOLIA. 437 



the dye they contain. According to Dr Balfour, however, some confusion exists 

 with regard to these two species, which differ so slightly, that it is doubtful 

 whether they ought not to be conjoined, the sole difference consisting in the leaves, 

 which are shining in the ciirifolia, and not shining in the tinctoria, in the former 

 oval, in the latter oblong. All things taken into consideration, Dr Balfuuk is of 

 opinion that we are perfectly safe in referring the sooranjee to the lUoriuda eltri- 

 foliM, which has been long described as the source of the native dye. 



The Alorinila citrifolia has been described by Rheede* under the name of 

 Gada pilava, and is referred by botanists to the Bancudus latlfoUa of Rumpi-uus,-)- 

 though it is curious that he expressly states that the roots of this species possess 

 no dyeing properties, while he is very explicit regarding those of his Bancudus 

 angustifolia, the M. umhellata of modern botanists, and the Wongkudu of the Ja- 

 vanese dyers, by whom it is employed to produce a beautiful scarlet. A detailed 

 account of the cultivation of the M. citrifolia, and its employment as a dye, is 

 given by Mr Hunter, t who states that it is known by the name of Aal in Ma- 

 lawa, and of Atchy in Oude. No experiments, so far as I Icnow, have been made 

 on the chemistry of its colouring matter, unless we except some observations of 

 Dr Bancroft,^ on a root sent from India under the name of Aurtch, resembling 

 madder in its external appearance, and which, from the analogy of the native 

 names, he conjectures to be the M. citrifolia; no definite proof, however, is given, 

 as Dr Bancroft had not seen the plant, and I am inclined to doubt their iden- 

 tity, as the characters he ascribes to it do not agree with those of the substance 

 I have examined. With regard to the term Sooranjee, I have been able to obtain 

 no information in any of the works on the natural productions of India, nor is 

 any one of whom I have had an opportunity of inquiring acquainted with the 

 name. 



Sooranjee is the root of the plant, and is imported cut up into pieces from one 

 to four inches in length, and varying in diameter from half down to nearly an 

 eighth of an inch. On the small pieces the bark is thick, and forms a large pro- 

 portion of the whole root, but on the larger fragments it is much thinner. Its 

 external colour is pale greyish-brown ; but when broken across, it presents colours 

 varying from fine yellow into brownish-red, and confined principally to the bark. 

 The wood itself has only a shght yellowish shade, deepest in the centre, and 

 scarcely apparent close to the bark ;|| but it is coloured dark red by alkalies, in- 



* Rheede, Hortus Malabaricus, vol. i., p. 97. 

 f RuMPHius, Herbarium Amboinenso, lib. v., cap. 13. 

 ^ Asiatic Researches, vol. iv., p. 35. 

 § Philosophy of Permanent Colours, vol. ii., p. 308. 



I This is also mentioned by Rumphius as a character of the woody part of the roots and stem 

 of his Bancudus angnstifolia. 



