226 LEGUMINOS^. 



strewn with hair, sand, seeds and other impurities ; they are largely- 

 consumed in Egypt and Central Africa, and sometimes find their way to 

 the south of Europe as Egyptian Tamarinds, 



Description — The fruit is an oblong, or linear oblong, strictly com- 

 pressed, curved or nearly straight, pendulous legume, of the thickness 

 of the finger and 3 to 6 inches in length, supported by a woody stalk. 

 It has a thin but hard and brittle outer shell or epicarp, which does 

 not split into valves or exhibit any very evident sutures. Within the 

 epicarp is a firm, juicy pulp, on the surface of which and starting from 

 the stalk are strong woody ramifying nerves; one of these extends 

 along the dorsal (or concave) edge, two others on either side of the 

 ventral (or convex) edge, while between these two there are usually 2, 

 3, or 4 less regular and more slender nerves, — all running towards the 

 apex and throwing out branching filaments. The brownish or reddish 

 pulp has usually an acid taste, though there are also sweetish varieties. 



The seeds, 4 to 12 in number, are each of them enclosed in a tough, 

 membraneous cell (endocarp), surrounded by the pulp (sarcocarp). They 

 are flattened and of irregular outline, being roundish, ovate, or obtusely 

 four-sided, about y q- of an inch long by -^ thick, with the edge broadly 

 keeled or more often slightly furrowed. The testa is of a rich brown, 

 marked on the flat sides of the seed by a large scar or oreole, of rather 

 duller polish than the surrounding portion which is somewhat radially 

 striated. The seed is exalbuminous, with thick hard cotyledons, a 

 short straight included radicle, and a plumule in which the pinnation of 

 the leaves is easily perceptible. 



Tamarinds are usually distinguished in trade as West Indian and 

 East Indian, the former being preserved with sugar, the latter without. 



1. West Indian Tamarinds, Broicn or Red Tamarinds. — A 



bright reddish brown, moist, saccharine mass consisting of the pulpy 

 internal part of the fruit, usually unbroken, mixed with more or less of 

 syrup. It has a very agreeable and refreshing taste, the natural acidity 

 of the pulp being tempered by the sugar. It is this form of tamarinds 

 that is usually found in the shops. 



2. East Indian Tamarinds, Black Tamarinds. — These differ 

 from the last described in that they are preserved without the use of 

 sugar. They are found in the market in the form of a firm, clammy, 

 black mass, consisting of the pulp mixed with the seeds, stringy 

 fibres, and some remains of the outer shell. The pulp has a strong 

 acid taste. 



Notwithstanding the rather uninviting appearance of East Indian 

 tamarinds, they afford a good pulp, which may be satisfactorily used in 

 making the Confectio Sennce of pharmacy. In fact, on the continent 

 this sort of tamarind alone is employed for medicinal purposes. 



Microscopic Structure — The soft part of tamarind consists of a 

 tissue of thin-walled cells of considerable size, which is traversed by 

 long fibro-vascular bundles. In the former a few very small starch- 

 granules are met with, and more numerous crystals, which are probably 

 bitartrate of potassium. 



Chemical Composition — Water extracts from unsweetened tama- 

 rinds, sugar together with acetic, tartaric and citric acids, the acids 



