586 A TEXT-BOOK OF BOTANY. . 



Quassia amara is a small tree or shrub with 4- to 5-foliate 

 leaves ; the leaflets are narrow, obovate and acuminate, and the 

 rachis and petiole or stalk are winged; the flowers are her- 

 maphrodite, with 10 stamens, bright red corolla, and in terminal 

 racemes ; the fruit is a 5-valved indehiscent pod or nutlet. The 

 wood constitutes Surinam quassia. 



A red coloring principle is found in Samadera indica of India, 

 Ceylon and Java. The alkaloid cedronin is found in the seeds of 

 Simaha Cedron of New Granada, the seeds being used as an anti- 

 dote for the bites of poisonous animals. A similar principle may 

 exist in the bark of Simaruha versicolor of Brazil, the plant being 

 used for a similar purpose. The alkaloid brucamarine is found 

 in the fruit of Brucea sumatrana. A tragacanth-like gum is 

 obtained from AilantJius excclsa of India. Dika or.GABUN Choc- 

 olate is obtained from the seeds of Irvingia gabonensis of trop- 

 ical West Africa. Cay-Cay-Butter is obtained from the seeds of 

 Irvingia Oliveri and /. malayana of Malacca and Cochin China. 



A gum resembling acacia is also obtained from the bark, peti- 

 oles and seeds of the species of Irvingia. 



i. BURSERACE^ OR MYRRH FAMILY.— The plants are 

 shrubs or trees, the latter being sometimes quite large, with 

 resin-canals in the bark, and alternate compound leaves ; the 

 flowers are small, occurring in racemes. The members of this 

 family are found in tropical countries. 



Commiphora abyssinica is a shrub 10 M. high, the branches 

 being modified to thorns ; the leaves are trifoliate, the leaflets being 

 oblong, dentate, 'sessile and the terminal one much larger than 

 the other two ; the flowers are dioecious, and the fruit is a drupe 

 with a fleshy, resinous sarcocarp. The official Myrrh is probably 

 obtained from this plant as well as other species of Commiphora. 



A number of other resinous products are yielded by plants of 

 this family. West India Elemi resin or Elemi Occidentale 

 (Anime) is obtained from the stems of Protiiim Icicariba of 

 Brazil. The resin is greenish-yellow, soft, with a bitter taste and 

 dill-like odor. Manila Elemi is a soft, granular, lemon-yellow or 

 grayish-white resin derived from Canarium commune of the 

 Philippine Islands. Bengal Elemi is derived from Commiphora 

 Agallocha of the East Indies and Madagascar. The Tacamahac 



