294 



I. BIXA. 



Flacourtianeee. This order is composed of tropical trees and 

 shrubs, not remarkable for either beauty or use. The seeds 

 called Avnotta in the shops are the produce of Bixa Orel- 

 lana, these are used for colouring cheese. The seeds retain their 

 power of vegetating a considerable time, therefore in most in- 

 stances they may be introduced from any part of the world in a 

 living state. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 

 * Petals present. 



1 BI'XA. Petals and sepals 5. Style long, ligulate at the 

 apex. Capsule 1 -celled, 2-valved, prickly. 



2 ECHINOCA'RPUS. Calyx 4-parted. Petals 4-5, cut. Style 

 awl-shaped. Capsule woody, 1 -celled, 4-valved, prickly. 



3 TRICHOSPE'RMUM. Sepals and petals 5. Style wanting. 

 Stigma emarginate. Capsule kidney- shaped, 1 -celled, 2-valved, 

 hairy. 



4 BANA'RA. Calyx 6-parted, permanent. Petals 6. Stigma 

 capitate. Berry very succulent. 



5 L;E V TIA. Calyx 5-parted. Petals 5, or wanting. Stigma 

 capitate. Berry fleshy, 2-5-valved. 



* * Petals absent. 



6 HASSE'LTIA. Calyx 4-parted. Petals wanting. Stigma 

 simple. Fruit 1 -2 -celled ; cells 1-2-seeded. 



7 PRO'CKIA. Calyx 3-5-parted, permanent. Petals wanting. 

 Stigma entire. Berry dry, 4-6-seeded. 



8 LUDIA. Calyx 5-7-parted, permanent. Petals wanting. 

 Style filiform. Stigma trifid. Berry 6-7-seeded. 



9 AZA'RA. Calyx 4-5-parted. Petals wanting. Style awl- 

 shaped. Stigma obtuse. Berry many-seeded. 



10 KU'HLIA. Calyx campanulate, 6-8-cleft, closed, perma- 

 nent, inner segments largest. Corolla none. Fruit 1 -celled, 

 many-seeded. 



I. BI'XA (Bixa is the American name of B. orellana.) Lin. 

 gen. no. 654. H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. am. 5. p. 353. D. C. 

 prod. 1. p. 259. 



LIN. SYST. Polyandria, Monogynia. Calyx of 5 sepals ; 

 sepals orbicular, tuberculated at the base, deciduous, imbricated 

 in aestivation. Petals 5, obovate. Stamens numerous, hypogy- 

 nous, free ; filaments filiform ; anthers ovate. Ovary one. Style 

 one, long, almost ligulate and compressed at the top. Capsule 

 1 -celled, 2-valved; valves covered with bristles on the outside, 

 each bearing a linear placenta on the inside in the middle. Seeds 

 8-10 on each side of the placenta, clothed with a farinaceous red 

 pulp. Albumen fleshy. Embryo erect. Cotyledons leafy, flat, 

 parallel, transversely plaited in the middle. Gaert. fruct. 1. 

 t. 61. Trees with broad cordate leaves, and dichotomous pani- 

 cles of large reddish flowers, and prickly capsules. 



1 B. ORELLA'NA (Lin. spec. 730.) leaves cordate, ovate, 

 acuminated, entire or angular, smooth on both surfaces, tj . 

 S. Native of South America by the sides of bogs and foun- 

 tains. Cultivated in the West India islands. Sloane, hist. 2. p. 

 52.t.l81. f. 1. Comm. hort. amst. l.t. 33. B. Americana, Poir. 

 diet. 6. p. 229. Corymbs terminal, panicled; peduncles 2-3-4- 

 flowered. Flowers pale peach-coloured. In Holland the seeds 

 of this tree are called Orleane ; in Germany, Orleansbaum, Bi- 

 schofsmutze, Anotta. In England we have taken the latter of 

 these names, spelling it variously Arnotto, Anotta, Anota, An- 

 tiolo. The French have adopted the Brasilian name Uruku or 

 Urucu, spelling it Roucouyer, Roucou, or Roomier des Indes. 



The Portuguese have also the same appellation, U men or Uru- 

 cueira. In Spanish it is Anato or Atolle. In the Mexican 

 language Achioll. Scalager calls it Arbor jinium regundorum, 

 because the Mexicans made plans, and marked the boundaries of 

 their lands on tablets with the colour prepared from the pulp 

 which surrounds the seeds. Tournefort named it Mitella from 

 the resemblance of the capsule, when open, to a mitre. 



The drug called Arnotta is thus prepared from the red pulp 

 which covers the seeds. The contents of the fruit are taken out 

 and thrown into a wooden vessel, where as much hot water is 

 poured upon them, as is necessary to suspend the red powder or 

 pulp, and by diligent stirring and pounding the pulp is separated 

 from the seeds, or gradually washed off with the assistance 

 of a spatula or spoon. When the seeds appear quite naked 

 they are taken out, and the wash is left to settle ; after which 

 the water is gently poured away, and the sediment put into shal- 

 low vessels, to be dried by degrees in the shade. After acquiring 

 a due consistence it is made into balls or cakes, and set to dry 

 in an airy place until it is perfectly firm. Some persons first 

 pound the contents of the fruit with wooden pestles ; then cover- 

 ing them with water, leave them to steep six days. This liquor 

 being passed through a coarse sieve, and afterwards through 

 three finer ones, is again put into the vat or wooden vessel, 

 and left to ferment a week. It is then boiled until it is pretty 

 thick, and when cool is spread out to dry, and then made up 

 into balls, which are usually wrapped up in leaves. Arnotta of 

 a good quality is of the colour of fire, bright within, soft to the 

 touch, and dissolves entirely in water. It is reputed cooling and 

 cordial, and is much used by the Spaniards in their chocolate 

 and soups, both to heighten the flavour and to give them an 

 agreeable colour. It is esteemed a good antidote to dysentery 

 and disorders of the kidneys, and is recommended as a good 

 stomachic cordial, and a preservative against retention of urine. 

 Mixed with lemon-juice and a gum it makes the crimson paint 

 with which the Indians adorn their persons. It was formerly used 

 by dyers to form the colour called Aurora, but at present it is 

 not held in such high estimation as a dye, though it still main- 

 tains its ground with painters. Arnotta is well known to be the 

 drug which is used for colouring the cheese in Gloucestershire, 

 under the name of cheese-colouring. It is used in Holland for 

 colouring butter. Arnotta gives but a pale brownish yellow 

 colour to water, and is not soluble in that liquid, nor in spirit of 

 wine ; but in order to be fit for dyeing, it requires an alkaline men- 

 struum, to which it gives a bright orange colour, and hence it 

 was formerly used as an ingredient in varnishes and lacquers, 

 and in dyeing wax of a vermilion colour ; but in dyeing cloths it 

 is of little use, as the colour is discharged by exposure to the air 

 and by soap. The bark of the tree makes good ropes for the 

 common plantation uses in the West Indies ; and pieces of the 

 wood are used by the Indians to procure fire by friction. The 

 specific name Orellana is given to this tree because it is believed 

 that it grows principally towards the borders of Orellana in 

 South America. 



Arnotta is said to be an antidote to the poisonous juice of 

 Manihot. The liquid formerly sold under the name of " Scot's 

 nankeen dye," seems to be nothing but Arnotta dissolved in al- 

 kaline ley. 



Orellana or Common Arnotta or Anotta-Tree. Fl. May, Aug. 

 Tree 30 feet. 



2 B. URUCUSA'NA (Willd. enum. p. 565.) leaves with white 

 scales or dots on the under surface. Tj . S. Native of Brasil. Flow- 

 ers like the last. Uruca or Uruka is the Brasilian name of the tree. 



Uruca Arnotta. Clt. 1823. Tree ? 



3 B. PIATYCA'RPA (Ruiz, et Pav. fl. per. 5. t. 459.) cap- 

 sules nearly kidney-shaped, flat, with very few prickles ; pedicels 

 very thick towards the flower ; leaves cordate, entire, strongly 



