DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 173 



Acacia farnesiana. SWEET ACACIA. 



Family Mimosaceae. 



LOCAL NAMES. Aromo (Guam, Philippines, and Spanish America); Black 

 Thorn (British West Indies); Opoponax (southern United States); Huisache 

 (Texas); Cassie (France). 



A shrub or small tree bearing yellow globular heads of fragrant flowers, and bipin- 

 nate leaves. Pinnae 4 to 8 pairs; leaflets small, narrow-linear, 10 to 25 pairs; 

 peduncles 2 or 3 in the older axils; pods almost cylindrical, indehiscent, at length 

 turgid and pulpy. The leaves are peculiarly sensitive to changes of weather. When 

 a cloud obscures the sun the opposite leaflets close together and so remain until the 

 aky brightens. They also close at night, the plant appearing to sleep until the 

 sun rises. The petioles have stipulary thorns, with a gland above the base and 

 another usually between the uppermost pinnae. 



This species is widely distributed in the Tropics and in warm temperate regions. 

 It has established itself in Egypt, India, Australia, Hawaii, the Philippines, and 

 tropical Africa. It is common in the West Indies, and is spread from the Gulf 

 region of the United States to the Pampas of Uruguay and Argentina. 



It yields a gum similar to that of the closely allied Acacia scorpioides, which 

 the natives of Guam sometimes use in the same way as the gum arabic. In south- 

 ern France it is grown for perfumery, its flowers being known in commerce as cassie 

 flowers. In Hawaii and on the Central American coast its perfume is often borne 

 by the land breeze to vessels more than a mile from the shore. In some parts of 

 India the bark and the pods, called "babla," are used as dyestuffs and for tanning. 

 Its hard, rose-colored wood is of considerable value. 

 REFERENCES: 



Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd. Sp. PL 4 2 : 1083. 1805. 

 Mimosa farnesiana ~L. Sp. PI. 1:521. 1753. 

 Acacia glauca. Same as Leucaena glauca. 

 Acacia, hedge. See Leucaena glauca. 

 Acacia leucbcephala. Same as Leucaena ylauca. 



Acalypha indica. INDIAN MERCURY. 



Family Euphorbiaceae. 



LOQAL NAMES. Bugos (Philippines); Mookto-joori (Bengal). 

 A low, herbaceous, nettle-like weed growing in waste places and in crevices of 

 stone walls, easily distinguished by the cup-shaped involucre which surrounds the 

 small greenish flowers. Leaves ovate-cordate, 3-nerved, acuminate, serrated, on 

 long petioles; spikes axillary, male flowers above, female below; stamens 8 to 16, 

 styles 3, capsules of 3 carpels, each one-seeded. 



In India the root of this plant bruised in hot water is used as a cathartic and a 

 decoction of its leaves as a laxative. The leaves mixed with salt are applied exter- 

 nally in scabies. 

 REFERENCES: 



Acalypha indica L. Sp. PI. 2: 1003. 1753. 



Acanthaceae. ACANTHUS FAMILY. 



This family is represented in Guam by two ornamental shrubs, introduced from 

 the Philippines the well-known " caricature plant, " Graptophyllum pictum, and an 

 Eranthernum with dark-purple foliage. Both are common in gardens, and are often 

 planted by the natives in a row under the eaves of their houses, so that they may 

 be watered by the drippings from the roof. 

 Acanthophora orientalis. See under Algn\ 



a Acacia scorpioides (L.) W. F. Wight; Mimosa scorpioides L. Sp. PI. 1:521. 1753; 

 Mimosa arabica Lain. Encyc. 1: 19. 1783; Acacia arabica Wild. Sp. PI. 4 2 : 1085. 1805. 



