82 



BURSERIACE.E. II. BALSAMODENDRON. III. ICICA. 



tague says that the Balm of Mecca of the best quality is not easy 

 to be got, even at Constantinople ; that on applying some of it 

 to her face it became swelled and red during three days, but that 

 her complexion was much mended by the operation ; and that the 

 ladies all use it in Constantinople, and have the loveliest bloom 

 in the world. An inferior sort of balsam is prepared from 

 boiling the twigs in a quantity of water, and the balsamic matter 

 rises to the surface and is skimmed off. After they have thus 

 procured all they can, it is said that they push the fire, and a 

 large quantity of thicker balsam, like turpentine, rises, which is 

 preserved by itself, and is that principally which we have in 

 Europe. The other can only be obtained by presents ; and 

 that which naturally distils from the trees hardly supplying the 

 seraglio and great officers, there is none of it sent out 

 of the country. Hasselquist describes the Balsam of Mecca 

 as being yellow and pellucid, with a most fragrant resinous bal- 

 samic smell, as being very tenacious, and drawing out into long 

 threads ; that it is taken to the quantity of 3 grains to strengthen a 

 weak stomach, and that it is a most excellent remedy for wounds. 

 To know whether it is adulterated, drop some in a glass, and 

 if it remains still on the surface it is of little or no use, but if it 

 extends itself over the surface it is then of the best kind. The 

 drugs used to adulterate this balsam are oil of sesamum, Cyprus 

 turpentine, and ostrich fat. According to Bruce the tree is 

 5 or C feet high, branching much, w-ith the aspect of a standard 

 cherry-tree, having red brandies and white flowers. The young 

 shoots were formerly cut off and tied up in faggots, and sent 

 to Venice to make the Theriaca or Venice treacle, when 

 bruised or drawn by fire. From very early ages great value 

 has been set upon this drug in the East. We know from 

 Scripture, that the Ishmaelites, or Arabian carriers and mer- 

 chants, trafficking with Indian commodities to Egypt, brought 

 with them balm as part of their cargo. Strabo alone, of all 

 the ancients, has given ns an account of the place of its 

 origin. " Near to this," he says, " is the most happy land 

 of Sabeans, and they are a very great people. Among them 

 frankincense, myrrh, and cinnamon grow, and in the coast that 

 is about Saba the balsam also. Among the myrrh trees behind 

 Azab, all along the coasts to the straits of Babelmandeb is its 

 native country." We need not doubt but that it was early trans- 

 planted into Arabia, that is into the south part of Arabia Felix, 

 immediately fronting Azab. The first plantation that succeeded 

 seems to have been at Petra, the ancient metropolis of Arabia, 

 now called Beder or Beder Hunein. Afterwards being trans- 

 planted into Palestine, it obtained the name of Balsamum Ju- 

 daicmn and Balm of G dead, and became an article of commerce 

 there. There were three productions obtained from the tree 

 much esteemed among the ancients, the first was called Opobal- 

 samum, or juice of balsam, which was the finest kind, composed 

 of the greenish liquor found in the kernel of the fruit ; the next 

 was Carpobalsamum, made by the expression of the fruit when 

 at maturity ; the third was Xylobalsamum, worst of all ; it was 

 an expression or decoction of the young twigs, of a reddish 

 colour. But the principal quantity of balsam at all times was 

 produced by incision, as at the present day. The wound is 

 made by an, axe when the juice is in its strongest circulation, in 

 July and August. It is then received into small earthen bot- 

 tles, and every day's produce is poured into a larger, which is 

 kept closely corked. The balsam of Judea appears to be the 

 same balsam adulterated. 



Opobalsamttm or Balsam of Mecca tree. Tree 14 feet. 



3 B. KA'TAF (Kunth, 1. c.) leaves palmately trifoliate ; leaflets 

 smooth, serrated at the apex ; pedicels bifid ; berry globose, 

 umbilicate at the apex. Jj . G. Native of Arabia Felix. 

 Amyris Kataf, Forsk. descr. p. 80. Vahl. symb. 1. p. 28. 

 Mart. akad. munch. 6. p. 178. This tree probably also pro- 



duces Balsam of Mecca. There is a red sweet-scented powder 

 obtained from it, which the women in Arabia use to wash and 

 cleanse their heads. 



Kalaf-trce. Tree 14 feet. 



4 B. KA'FAL (Kunth, I.e.) leaves palmately-trifoliate; leaflets 

 serrated at the apex, younger ones villous ; berry compressed, 

 with a prominent dot at the apex, fj . G. Native of Arabia, 

 where it is called Kafal. Amyris Kafal, Forsk. eg. p. 80. The 

 balsam obtained from this tree is purgative. 



Kafal-tree. Tree 20 feet. 



j- A species perhaps allied to the present genus. 



5 B. ? ZEVLA'NICUM (Kunth, I.e.) leaves impari-pinnate, with 

 5-7 stalked, ovate, acute leaflets ; racemes of flowers inter- 

 rupted, downy ; flowers 3-petalled, hexandrous. Jj . S. Native 

 of Ceylon. Amyris Zeylanica, Iletz. obs. 4. p. 25. From this 

 tree flows the Gum elemi of the East, but it is truly distinct from 

 the American elcmi. Calyx 3-toothed. Drupe dry, containing 

 a 3-celled bony nut. Flowers glomerated, involucrated. This 

 is probably a proper genus, or a species of Colophunia, judging 

 from the number of parts. 



Ceylon Balsam-tree. Tree. 



Cult. See Bosmellia for culture and propagation, p. 81. 



III. ICI 'CA (Idea is the name of one of the species in 

 Guiana). Aubl. guian. 1. p. 337. Juss. gen. 370. Kunth, 

 gen. tereb. 17. B.C. prod. 2. p. 77. 



LIN. SYST. Octo-Decandrla, Monogynla, Flowers usually 

 hermaphrodite. Calyx 4-5-toothed, permanent. Petals 4-5, 

 broadest at the base, and inserted under the disk, valvate in 

 aestivation. Stamens 8-10. Ovary 4-5-celled, each cell con- 

 taining 2 ovula. Disk orbicular. Style short. Stigmas 4-5. 

 Fruit coriaceous (f. 17. c.), 2-3-valved, including 4-5 little nuts 

 (f. 17. d.}, which are covered with pulp, each containing 1 seed. 

 Seeds without albumen, resinous. Leaves impari-pinnate, free 

 of dots. Racemes panicled, axillary, and terminal, usually 

 simple. Flowers of all the species white. 



1 I. ENNEA'NDRA (Aubl. guian. 1. p. 345. t. 134.) leaflets 

 3-5, stalked, ovate, entire, acuminated, tapering to the base, 

 netted with veins ; panicles racemose, longer than the petioles. 



J? . S. Native of French Guiana in woods, where it is called 

 Arouaou. Petals 5-6. Stamens 9. Amyris enneandra, Willd. 

 spec. 2. p. 335. A very fragrant resinous juice flows from the 

 bark of the tree. 



Nine-si 'amened Icica. Clt. 1822. Tree 30 feet. 



2 I. HETEROPHY'LLA (D. C. prod. 2. p. 77.) leaves ternate or 



FIG. 17. 



pinnate ; leaflets stalked, ovate, 

 acuminated, entire, simply veined ; 

 racemes simple, rather shorter than 

 the leaves. Tj . S. Native of 

 Guiana, in woods at the river 

 Courou, where it is called Aracou- 

 ch'mi. Icica Aracouchini, Aubl. 

 guian. 1. p. 344. t. 133. Amyris 

 heterophylla, Willd. spec. 2. p. 

 335. On the slightest incision 

 being made in the bark of this 

 tree, a yellow, balsamic, aromatic 

 fluid resembling turpentine flows 

 out in great quantities, which re- 

 tains its fluidity a long time, even 

 when exposed to the air. The 

 inhabitants of Guiana use this fluid 

 to cure wounds, and they carry with them always the little nuts 

 of the fruit, which retain their scent, and which theyname Aracou- 

 chini. They send presents of them to their friends as something 

 very precious. The Caribbees perfume with the balsam the oil 



