T A M 



24 



T A M 



it ha* hypogynou* stamens, although closely related tu 

 tin- i ,>nler IllccebraceJD. It haa also affinities 



\\ith 1'urtulaccte, LyUtrace*, Onagracee, and Rcaumuri- 





 The species are found onlv in tin- Old World: the 



st number being met with in tin- basin of the Medi- 

 terranean. According to Khrcnbcrg, tin- order is bounded 

 <,n the south by the Hth or 'Jth parallel of N. lat., and on 

 the north by that of 00 and 30, in Siberia, Germany, and 

 England. 



Thr plant* of this order are innocuous, and all are more 

 or less astringent ; and their ashes after burning are 

 remarkable for possessing a large quantity of sulphate of 

 soda. Myricaria Germanica is recommended as a diuretic. 

 [TAMARIX.] 



" TAMARINDS. M,<l,,;,l I'rn/x-rtiet qf. Of the two 

 .I' the only species of this genus, the fruit is 

 much larger in the East Indian than the West Indian. 

 The shell being removed, there remains the tint -quart' hard 

 seeds, imbedded in a pulp, with membranous fibres running 

 through it. In the bast Indies the pulp is dried, cither in 

 the sun, and this is used for home consumption, or with 

 salt added, and dried in copper ovens, which kind i 

 rope. (.L'rawfurd's Indian Archipelago.} Tli'- 

 called natural tamarinds, is much darker and drier than 

 the West Indian, which are called prepared tamarinds. 



The West Indian tamarinds reach maturity in June, 

 July, and August, when they are collected, and the shell 

 being removed, they are put into jars, either with layers of 

 sugar put between them, or boiling syrup poured over 

 them, which penetrates to the bottom. Prepared tama- 

 rinds therefore contain much more saccharine matter than 

 the others. According to Vauquelin, prepared tamarinds 

 contain per cent, citric acid 9-40, tartaric acid 1-55, malic 

 acid ()}."), bitartrate of potash 3".1">, sugar '2~>, gum 4 - 7, 

 able jelly (pecten) G 2.~>, parenchyma 34'3u, water 

 J7-.V). This prepared pulp has a pleasant acid astringent 

 taste, with a somewhat vinous odour. 



It presents an example of one of those natural combina- 

 tions of gummy, saccharine, and acid principles which are 

 of such great utility in hot climates. It is vised not only in 

 India, but in Africa, as a cooling article of food, and the 

 travellers across the deserts carry it with them to quench 

 their thirst. In Nubia it is allowed to stand in the sun 

 till a kind of fermentation takes place: it is then formed 

 into cakes, one of which dissolved in water forms a refresh- 

 ing drink. In India a kind of sherbet is made with it, 

 and bv the addition of sugar it becomes a source whence 

 v inegar is readily obtained. In the fevers and bilious 

 complaints, and even dysenteries of these climates, it proves 

 highly serviceable ; in small quantity it acts as an astringent, 

 but iii larger it proves laxative. Boiling water poured over 

 tamarinds yields a drink which is very grateful in the in- 

 flammatory complaints of our own country, particularly in 

 the bilious fevers of autumn. An agreeable whey may be 

 made with it, bv boiling two ounces of tamarind-pulp with 

 two pints of milk. Tamarinds are frequently given along 

 with senna, but they are said to lessen its purgative pro- 

 perty. They form an ingredient in the confectio sennae 

 and confectio cassiae. 



In times of scarcity in India the seeds are eaten, being 

 first toasted and then soaked for a few hours in water, 

 \vhen the dark skin ' ly oil': they are then boiled 



or dried, and taste like common field-beans. 



TAMARINIWS, the name of a genus of plants belong- 

 ing to the' Kcctembry on* division of the natural order Legu- 

 mmosac. It possesses the following characters : calyx 

 cleft, tubular at the base, the three upper lobes are reflexed, 

 tin- two lower ones joined together, but usually indentate 

 at the apex; petals 3, alternate with the three upper lobes 

 of the calyx, the middle one cneullate and the lateffcl ones 

 ovate ; the stamen- are !) or 10 in number, two or three of 

 which are longer than the other*, united at the base, and 

 bearing anthers, whilst the remainder are sterile; the fruit 

 iia legume seated on a pedicel, 1-ccllcd, compressed, with 

 from 3 to 6 seeds, and the valves tilled with pulp In 

 the endoearp and epicarp, their inner nnd outer lining ; 

 the seeds are ovato-quadrate in form, possessing cotyledon* 

 unequal at the base. 



There are only two species belonging to this trcmis, both 

 of which are trees with abruptly pinnate leaves, bearing 

 many pairs of small leaflets and laecnie- <>i !! 



The '/''"iriniiiltii fiiilini, thcKust Indian Tamarind, was 

 the earliest known species, for a knowledge of which, in 



Europe, we arc indebted to the Aiabians. Dr. F Hami.- 

 toil, ill hlsc. mm-, icinarks 



on the specific t!> .f I In-, plant, that li i- a vile 



pleonasm,' the fact of its beiin: Indian being refcired to 

 ill the generic name Tu our won! 



Tamarind. The Indian Tamarind is distinguished I 

 elongated legumes, \\lueh are six tunes or mo 

 than they are broad. It is a native of various districts in 

 the East Indies and also of the tropical parts of A. 

 It forms a handsome tree with spreading branches bearing 

 leaves of a light colour and flowers with a straw -coloured 

 calyx and yellow pitals, sticakcd with red : the filaments 

 of 'tin' stamens are purple and the anthers brown. The 

 timber of this tree i-veiy firm. haul, and heavy, and i* 

 applied to many useful purposes in building. 



The second specie- is the Tuiniirimliis tti-rirli'iitulis. the 

 Indian Tamarind, which is distinguished from the 

 other by possessing short legumes not more than three 

 times longer than they are broad. It is a native of South 

 America and the West India Island*, forming also a large 

 spreading tree, with yellowish flouc with red 



and purplish stamens. 



These plants may be grown in this country, by sowing 

 the seeds, which can be easily obtained, in a hot-bed, and 

 when the young plants obtain a height of two or three 

 inches, planting them out in separate pots. For th< 

 dical and dietetic properties of the tamarind see TAMA- 

 RINDS. 



TAMARIX, the name of a genus of plants, the type of the 

 natural order Tamaricacea 1 . It has a -1- or 5-partcd calyx ; 

 4 or 5 petals : 4 or 5 stamens alternating with the ] 

 united at the base ; a tapering ovary with :i stigma- 

 tufted seeds, the tuft being composed of a number of hairs 

 proceeding from the apex of the .seed. 'J'i have 



generally paniculated spikes of small flowers of a red 

 colour. 



T. gal/ica, the French tamarisk, is a glabrous glancou.- 

 shrub, with minute acute leaves clasping the stem, with 

 slender lateral spikes of flowers, five times longer than 

 broad. This species is a native of France, and also along 

 the Mediterranean: it is also a native of the coasts of 

 Cornwall, Hampshire, and Sussex, in England. Ehren- 

 berg has described a great number of varieties of this 

 species, one of which, the T. g. iintnniffrii, known by its 

 glaucous powdery appearance, he savs, produces the 

 manna of Mount Sinai. This manna however does not 

 contain any crystalli/.able mannite, but, according to Mit- 

 scherlich, consists of nothing more than a mucilaginous 

 sugar. This is one of the species of tins genus remark- 

 able for the large quantity of sulphate of soda which its 

 ashes contain. 



T. Inilini, the Indian Tamarisk, is a glabrous greenish 

 plant, with stilt' twiggy branches; >hort ovate acute 

 leaves with while edges: elongated spikes of flowers, with 

 bracts shorter than the flowers and longer than the pedi- 

 cels, and stamens longer than the corolla. This plant is a 

 t Indies. It is subject to the attack- of 

 a cvmps. which produce galls that possess astringent pro- 

 perties, and, according to Dr. Koylc. they are on this ac- 

 count used in medicine by the native doctors of India. 

 The -ame property al-o re'ndrrs them valuable in dyeing. 

 Other Indian species of the Tamarisk produce [rails, which 

 are used for the same purposes as those of '/'. liu/ic.t. 



i/ririiini. the African Tamarisk, is a glabrous glau- 

 cous shrub, with lanceolate imbricated leaves, with i! 

 scaly, -im, with ovate chafl'v biaets. 



and a ,'1-valvcd capsule. This is a native of UU I 

 along the shores of the Mediterranean. It is found in 

 Mauritiana. around the Hay of .Naples, in Egypt, and in 

 the Levant. It has very much the appearance of T. 



utitsflov. ' gcr, and bark darker. Like '/'. 



yield a large quantity of sulphate of 



The bark, a.s in nio-t of the slice: htly bitter and 



astringent, and ha- been used in medicinr a- a tonic. 



'/'. i Ira-iil, ilix, the Ka-lcrn Tamarisk, is a tree attaining 



a height of from ID to 31 feet : it I- L'lalinr,- all OT6T, wild 



minute, distant, sheathimr. rnucroiiate leave-, with slender 



id a 4-valvcd capsule. This is 



a native of Arabia, Persia, and the East Indies, and u one 

 of the larL'e-1 and most elegant of the species i, I 'the Ta- 

 marisk. One of the finest specimens of this tree existing 

 ilabyloii. The '/'. ' ! be .-i vaiictyot 



this plant". 

 Nearly all the species are elegant and delicate shrubs, 



