67 



kinds. Thus several species of Indigo/era, and probably many other 

 plants yield the valuable indigo of the dyers, and Pterocarpus santcdi- 

 nus of India yields another valuable dyeing material — the red 

 Saunders Wood of commerce. The valuable gum Tragacanth oozes 

 from cracks in the bark of the small shrub Astragalus vera, and other 

 species. The medicinal astringent gum kino is obtained from the 

 twigs of Butea froitdosa, a beautiful tree, the flowers of which 

 are used under various names as a useful yellow dye in the East 

 Indies. They have been imported under the names of Tiso and 

 Kessaree flowers. 



The wood of many species is of considerable value. Thus the 

 locust wood, so much used in ship-building for trenails, is the produce 

 of Robinia j)^^^'^'^-('-'^'^(^^'^ >' the valuable rosewood of the cabinet- 

 makers, of one or more species of Trlptolomea. The ItaJcir, or 

 Itikiribourihalli, somewhat resembling rosewood, is one of the most 

 useful woods of British Guiana, and is now coming extensively into 

 use in this country ; it is the produce of Machceriitm Scliomhurgkii. 



Laburnum is the cytisus of the ancients, and still occupies an 

 important place amongst the hard woods used for enlaying. 



A peculiar odorous principle is found in several plants of this 

 division ; it is closely allied to Benzoic acid, and is found largely 

 developed in the Tonquin or Tonka-bean, and less so in the flowers of 

 several species of Melilotus. It is in consequence of the presence of 

 this principle called coarinarine in the seeds and flowers of Melilotus 

 officinalis (Wild.), that they are mixed with the celebrated Gruyere 

 cheese to give it a peculiar flavour. 



SUB-ORDER CESALPJNK.E. 



The products of this division are chiefly medicinal or dyeing mate- 

 rials. The Logwood, Bfematoxylon Campechiaman, Brazil Wood, 

 CcEsalpiuia Crista, Brazilleta wood, C. BraziUensis, Nicaragua wood, 

 C. echinata, all well known South American dye-woods ; the East 

 Indian dye-wood called Sapan, Ccesalpinia Sapan ; the African Bar 

 and Camwoods (both said to be yielded by Baphia nitida) are all re- 

 markable for the fine red dyes they furnish. 



There is some difficulty existing concerning Nicaragua and Lima, 

 or peach wood, and bar and cam wood. The two former are said to 

 be the produce of one species (Casalpina echinata) and the two latter 

 Baphia nitida.) There is much reason to believe, however, that they 

 are tlie produce of four species. Those of importance as fuinishing 

 materia mcdica products, are the Sennas of the East Indies and Egypt, 

 Cassia officinalis, C. acntifoiia, C. ohovata, C. elongata, C. JEthiopico, 

 and some others. The Cassia fistula, Carthartocarpus fistula. 



