OILS AND OIL SEEDS. 

 Mimusops Eleiigi. W. Pointed-leaved Mimusops. 



Linn. Sytt. Octandria Monogynia. 



Vernacular. Kesura, Viikoola, Sans. Bukool, Beng. Bacul-muhari, 

 Hind. Buckhool, Wowlee, By. Elenyi, Mai. Mayadoo, Tarn. 

 Pagada, Tel. Moona-mal, Cey. 



Habitat. IH.-a. 



Remarks. Oil may be expressed from the seeds in considerable quan- 

 tity. Under N. O. 137. Jasmiuacese, Jasmine oil is prepared from the 

 flowers of Jasminum Sambac, J. odoratissimum, and other species by 

 distillation. Under N. O. 138. Oleacese, the pericarp of the drupe of 

 Olea europtza, Linn, yields Olive oil by expression ; and Fraxinus hanburii 

 (teste Murchison) produces the Insect Wax of China, probably on the 

 puncture of some species of Coccus. Under N. O. 141. Apocynacece, oil is 

 obtained in India from the seeds of Cerbera Thevetia, Don, and Wrightia 

 antidy 'sent eric a, Don, but used only on a medicinal scale. Oil is said 

 also to be obtained for medical use from the seed (Nux Vomica) of 

 Strychnos Nux Vomica, Linn. N, O. 142. Loganiaceae. 



N. O. 147. PEDALIACE^E. PEDALIADS. 

 Sesamum indicum. Ue. C. Indian, or Oriental Oily-grain. 



Linn. Syst. Didynamia Angiospermia. 



Vernacular. Tila, Sans. Til, Beng. Hind. Krisha-til, Hind. 

 Bareek-til, Dec. Schit-eloo, Mai. Yelloo-cheddie, Tarn. Noowooloo, 

 Tel. Tel-tala, Tun-pattala, Cey. Djyl-djylan, Arab. Kunjed, 

 Pers. Semsem, Egypt. 



Habitat. India, from whence its cultivation was carried in the 

 earliest ages to Mesopotamia and Egypt, and has now extended 

 to the West Indies. 



Remarks. De Candole's plant is described in Rumphius (Amboyna, v. 

 p. 204), and is the same as the S. orientale of the Linnsea of 1832. He 

 admits three varieties, namely : 



a, grandidentatum, Humph. (Amb. v. tab. 76, fig. 1). 



/3, subdentatum,~Bot, Mag. 1688. 



y, subindivisum, Rheede (Mai. ix. tab. 54, et forte 55). 



This is the o-rja-apov of the Greeks, and Sesama of the Romans. Hippo- 

 crate? and Theophrastus describe it. Herodotus mentions it in his 

 description of the plain of Babylonia (lib i. c. 193). Pliny writes of it, 

 " Sesamum comes from India, where they extract an oil from it ; the 

 colour of its grain is white." In modern times the plant is first described 

 by Prosper Alpinus in his work " De Plantis Egypti." It is one of the 

 most important oleiferous plants cultivated in India, the oil expressed 

 from its seeds being known in commerce under the names of Gingely and 

 Bennie oil. There are black and white and red seeds, and the first are 

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