174 LEGUMINOS^. 



TRAGACANTHA. 



Gummi Tragacantha ; Tragacanth, Guin Tragacanth ; F. Gomme 

 Adragante ; G. Traganth. 



Botanical Origin. — Tragacanth is the gummy exudation from the 

 stem of several pieces of Astragalus, belonging to the sub-genus 

 Tragacantha. The plants of this group are low perennial shrubs, 

 remarkable for their leaves having a strong, persistent, spiny petiole. 

 As the leaves and shoots are very numerous and regular, many of the 

 species have the singular aspect of thorny hemispherical cushions, lying 

 close on the ground ; while others, which are those furnishing the gum, 

 grow erect with a naked woody stem, and somewhat resemble furze 

 bushes. 



A few species occur in South-western Europe, others are found in 

 Greece and Turkey ; but the largest number are inhabitants of the 

 mountainous regions of Asia Minor, S^a-ia, Armenia, Kurdistan and 

 Persia. The tragacanth of commerce is produced in the last-named 

 countries, and chiefly, though not exclusively, by the following 

 species^: — 



1. Astragalus adscendens Boiss. et Hausskr., a shrub attaining 4 feet 

 in height, native, of the mountains of South-western Persia at an 

 altitude of 9,000 to 10,000 feet. According to Haussknecht, it affords 

 an abundance of gum. 



2. A. leioclados Boiss. 



3. A. hrachycalyx Fisch., a shrub of 3 feet high, growing on the 

 mountains of Persian Kurdistan, likewise affords tragacanth. 



4. A. gurtiniifer Labill., a small shrub of wide distribution occurring 

 on the Lebanon and Mount Hermon in Syria, the Beryt Dagh in 

 Cataonia, the Arjish Dagh (Mount Argseus) near Kaisariyeh in Central 

 Asia Minor, and in Armenia and Northern Kurdistan. 



5. A. microcephalus^iWd., like the preceding a widely distributed 

 species, extending from the south-west of Asia Minor to the north-east 

 coast, and to Turkish and Russian Armenia. A specimen of this plant 

 with incisions in the stem, was sent some years ago to the Pharmaceutical 

 Society by Mr. Maltass of Smyrna. We received a large example of 

 the same species, the stem of which is marked by old incisions, 

 from the Pev. W, A. Farnsworth of Kaisariyeh, who states that 

 tragacanth is collected from it on Mount Argaeus. 



6. A. pycnocladus Boiss. et Haussk., nearly related to A. micro- 

 cephalus ; it was discovered on the high mountains of Avroman and 

 Shahu in Persia by Professor Haussknecht, who states that it exudes 

 tragacanth in abundance. 



7. A. stromatodes Bunge, growing at an elevation of 5,000 feet on 

 the Akker Dagh range, near Marash in Northern Syria. 



8. A. kurdicus Boiss., a shrub 3 to 4 feet high, native of the 

 mountains of Cilicia and Cappadocia, extending thence to Kurdistan. 



^ As described in Boissier's Flora Orien- our list of species, and for some valuable 

 talis, ii. (1872). We have to thank Pro- information as to the localities in which the 

 fessor Haussknecht of Weimar for revising drug is produced. 



