i'8 sturtevant's notes on edible plants 



Hottentots of southern Africa, and Sparmann states that, in the absence of other pro- 

 visions, the Bushmen live on it for days together.* At Swan River, Australia, an acacia, 

 called manna by the natives, produces a large quantity of gum resembling gum arabic, 

 and this, says Drummond,' forms an important article of native food. The experiment 

 of Magendie,' however, showed that dogs could not support life on gum, and Dr. Hammond * 

 believes that, so far from having any value as an alimentary substance, it is positively 

 injiuious. 



A. abyssinica Hochst. 



Abyssinia. Hildebrant mentions that gum is collected from this species.' 



A. arabica Willd. babool-bark. gum arabic tree, suntwood. 



North and central Africa and southwest Asia. It furnishes a gvim arabic of superior 

 quality.' The bark, in times of scarcity, is groimd and mixed with flour in India,' and 

 the gum, mixed with the seeds of sesame, is an article of food with the natives.* The 

 gum serves for nourishment, says Himiboldt,' to several African tribes in their passages 

 through the dessert. In Barbary, the tree is called atteleh. 



A. bidwilli Benth. 



Australia. The roots of young trees are roasted for food after peeling.*' 



A. catechu Willd. catechu, khair. wadalee-gum tree. 



East Indies. Furnishes catechu, which is chiefly used for chewing in India as an 

 ingredient of the packet of betel leaf.** 



A. concinna DC. soap-pod. 



Tropical Asia. The leaves are acid and are used in cookery by the natives of India 

 as a substitute for tamarinds. It is the fei-tsau-tau of the Chinese. The beans are about 

 one-half to three-fourths inch in diameter and are edible after roasting.** 



A. decora Reichb. 



Australia. The gum is gathered and eaten by Queensland natives.*' 



A. decuirens Willd. black wattle, green wattle, silver wattle. 

 Australia. It yields a gimi not dissimilar to gtmi arabic.** 



' Rhind, W. Hist. Veg. King. 557. 1855. 



' Hooker, W. J. Journ. Bot. 2:359. 1840. 



' Stille, A. Therap. Mat. Med. 1:113. 1874. 



< Ibid. 



Fltickiger and Hanbury Pharm. 234. 1879. 



U. S. Disp. 6. 1865. 



' Brandis, D. Forest Fl. 182. 1874. 



Drury, H. Useful Pis. Ind. 5. 1858. 



Humboldt, A. Polii. Essay New Spain 2:423. 1811. 



> Palmer, E. Journ. Roy. Soc. New So. Wales 17:93. 1884. 



Dutt, U. C. Mat. Med. Hindus 158. 1877. 



Smith, F. P. Contrib. Mat. Med. China l. 1871. 



" Palmer, E. Journ. Roy. Soc. New So, Wales 17:94. 1884. 



" Mueller, F. Sel. Pis. 4. 1891. 



