154 



627. ANDROPOGON LANIGER, continued. 



See Pharmacographia, p. 663. It has an aromatic pungent taste. It 

 was formerly official in the London Pharmacopoeia, and formed an ingre- 

 dient in Theriaca and Mithridatium. It was considered to possess 

 stimulant, vulnerary, diuretic, and emmenagogue properties. See Per. 

 Mat. Med., vol. ii., pt. i., p. 135. It is a native of Arabia. For fig. of 

 the plant, etc., see Pomet, Hist, of Drugs, p. 110, fig. 1. 



628. ANDROPOGON MURICATUS, Eetz. (Vetiver, Vittie vayr, Kuskus.) 



a. Root. 



6. Volatile oil. 



Note, The fibrous roots are used in this country to lay in drawers as 

 a perfume and to keep away moths. In India they are made into 

 screens for windows and doors, and sprinkled with water to diffuse an 

 agreeable odour and coolness. The oil is used in perfumery. The root 

 has been used in medicine for a variety of purposes. See Per. Mat. 

 Med. t voL ii., pt. i., p. 132. Pharmacographia, p. 663. 



629. ANDROPOGON NARDUS, L. 



a. Essential oil. (Citronelle Oil.) 



Note. This grass is cultivated in Ceylon and Singapore, and the best 

 comes chiefly from the same firms which make the best oil of verbena. 

 Citronelle oil is largely used for perfuming honey soap. Pharmaco- 

 graphia, pp. 660, 661. Citronelle is the French name for Melissa offici- 

 nalis, L. See Bentley and Trimen, Med. Plants, tab. 297. 



630. ANDROPOGON SCH(ENANTHUS, L. 



a. Leaves. 



b. Volatile oil. (Oil of Ginger Grass, Turkish Oil of Gera- 



nium, Grass Oil of Nimar or Nemaur, Rusa-Jca-tel, 

 Rosa Oil, Palma Rosa Oil, Idris Yagni or Entershah 

 of Turkey.) 



Note. The oil is largely used for the adulteration of otto of rose. The 

 otto which is sold in small gilt bottles, often consists of nothing more 

 than oil of ginger grass. For the purpose of adulteration, it is first 

 shaken with lemon -juice water and then exposed to sun and air, when its 

 odour becomes more like that of the rose. Otto of rose containing much 

 ginger grass oil will not congeal. See Pharmacographia, pp. 662 and 238. 

 See also Pelargonium species. Andropogon schcenanthus, L.,is identical 

 with A. pachnodes, Trin. and A. calamus aromaticus, Eoyle. A. schce- 

 nanthus of Wallich is identical with A. citratus, D.C., and yields oil 

 of verbena. 



631. ARUNDO DONAX, Beauv. (Great Reed.) 



a. Rhizome. 



Note. It is said that the heroes of Homer made their arrows of this 

 reed, and that the tent of Achilles was thatched with its leaves. Treas. 

 Bot., p. 98. 



632. AVENA SAT1VA, L. 



a. Caryopsides. (Oats.) 

 &. Ditto crushed. (Embden Groats.) 

 Note. Oats are generally sold with the two palere attached to tho 



