ARROWROOT SALEP. 327 



Tous-les-Mois. An amylaceous food, under the name of tous- 

 les-mois, has of late years been imported from St Kitt's. It is 

 the starch of the Canna coccinea. This starch has larger grains 

 than any other form of this principle. It is prized as being more 

 soluble than the starches in general. It produces a fine jelly. 



Tahiti Arrowroot. Under the name of Tahiti arrowroot, 

 or Otaheite salep, a white amylaceous powder, obtained from 

 the Tacca pinnatifida, has been imported from Tahiti. It is 

 prepared by the native converts at the missionary stations in 

 the South Sea Islands. It is proposed as a substitute for 

 West India arrowroot on the ground of its purity, superior 

 quality, and lower price. 



East India Arrowroot. Two sorts of amylaceous powder 

 are imported from Calcutta under the name of East India 

 arrowroot : the one is white, the other is buff-coloured. It 

 is probable that both are derived from the same genus, as from 

 species of curcuma. The starch known in the East Indies to 

 be got from species of curcuma is called Tickor or Tikur. It 

 forms a large part of the diet of the inhabitants in Travancore. 



Portland Arrowroot or Portland Sayo. In the island of 

 Portland a large quantity of starch is obtained from the roots 

 or underground tubers of the Arum maculatum, or Wake 

 Eobin. This starch is employed as a substitute for the West 

 India arrowroot. 



Salep. The starchy substance obtained from the tubers of 

 the orchis tribe is regarded by some chemists as a variety of 

 Bassorine, but it seems more allied to starch. It is obtained 

 from the tubers of many of our indigenous orchidacese ; but 

 the most famous and long-known salep is of Oriental origin. 

 It comes from the East in the form of ovate tubers. 



Lichinine or Feculoid. The starchy substance found in the 

 thallus of the foliaceous lichens is not sold in the separate 

 state, but enters largely into the composition of such sub- 



