178 AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY. 



9. Gardenia florida, L. The name Kuchi-nashi is applied both 

 to the plant and to its fruits. The plant is a small evergreen shrub 

 grown here and there for decorative purposes ; but it is no doubt 

 indigenous to Southern and Central Japan, and not merely run 

 wild.^ The prismatic six-edged and six-pointed green calyx grows 

 in together with the germ. Its large white corona stands up like 

 a salver. Six stamens grow on the lower edge of the corona cor- 

 responding to its six tips. When ripe, the berry is of an orange- 

 yellow colour, and as large as our common long acorns. It is 

 surrounded by the close-fitting, wrinkled, yellowish calyx, which 

 dries upon it and accompanies it to market. The yellow pigment 

 which the berry contains is said to be identical with the crocin 

 (C33 H36 O12) of the saffron." 



10. Evodia glanca Miq., Jap, Kivvada and Obaku, a tall tree of the 

 Rutaceae family (Xanthoxylacese group), with a smooth bark, and 

 resembling an ash, in its feathered leaves and its whole aspect. 

 It still occurs pretty often in the remoter mountain-forests of Cen- 

 tral and Northern Hondo, in spite of the fact that it is much sought 

 after in summer. Its bark is torn off in great strips and sent to 

 the dying establishments in the great cities. In travelling through 

 mountainous regions, e.g. through the peninsula of Yamato and the 

 district of Aidzu, about the Inawashiro Lake, one often meets 

 carriers or pack-horses with loads of this bark, air-dried, and in 

 pieces as long as one's arm. With the exception of its thin epi- 

 dermis, which is of a brownish colour with light grey spots, it is all 

 yellow, like grated gamboge. The Ki-iroy or yellow of silk-stuffs, 

 used to be obtained from this bark. At my instance, Herr Dr. 

 F. Noll junior, while a student at Marburg, made a number of 

 experiments with it, of which I give here the chief results. 



a. Of the various solvents that were used, water took up the pig- 

 ment immediately in great quantity, becoming a deep yellow. With 

 alcohol, the solution was much weaker. With ether it was weakest. 

 The ether remained clear a long time, showing a yellow tinge but 

 slowly. From this it follows that the pigment is not of a resinous 

 nature. 



b. The solution in cold water is much purer and a more beauti- 

 ful yellow than in boiling water, which receives a brownish tinge 

 from foreign substances, such as mucilage, etc., that are also 

 present. 



c. The extract obtained through cold water, and also the hot 

 extract, have a neutral reaction. 



d. The strong solution of the yellow pigment which is brought 

 about by pouring on water at normal temperature, shows no 



^ For example, I found it in abundance on gravelly soil, in a thin, shrubby 

 forest in Mino, and that too on the road leading from Gifu to Atami via Hino 

 (2 ri) and Kuchinashi, and on hills ; so there can be no doubt as to its being 

 met with in a wild state. 



* Fliickiger, " Pharmakognosie." Aufl. 2, p. 735. 



