56 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



several species of Pithecolobium are used in phlegmasia? of the skin, 

 pharynx, urinary canals, and respiratory organs, 1 and A. ferruginea* 

 is recommended in scurvy. 



Several Mimosem, such as Acacia lucida? Pithecolobium bbatum* &c, 

 have edible oily seeds, tasting something like the hazel nut. The 

 embryo of Pentaclethra macrophyUd? of the Gaboon, often eaten by 

 the natives, is very rich in oil, which might be turned to good 

 account. In several Neptunias, the edible parts are the leaf, buds, 

 and young shoots, which are dressed as vegetables. 6 Several species 

 contain an odoriferous volatile oil ; this is very abundant in the 

 usually yellow, very sweet scented flowers of the Australian Acacias, 

 which come out towards the end of the winter to adorn our cold and 

 temperate conservatories. The sweetest is the so-called Cassia, i.e., 

 A. Famesiana, 7 from which is extracted a stimulating essence of deli- 

 cious perfume. Some other species again have aromatic leaves, used 

 in infusion like tea; we may mention Acacia Jidibrissin W., and 

 an (justi folia, Wendl. 8 



Colouring matters are rare in this group. However, Adenan- 

 thera pavonina (Red Sandal- wood, Coadori d'lnde) supplies a red dye, 

 the rukta-chundun of the Hindoos. The pods of Acacia Bambola Eoxb., 

 the Indian gall-tree, constitute one kind of Bablabs, and are rich in 

 colouring matter. The wood of A. heterophytta W., from the Sand- 

 wich islands is impregnated witli yellow pigment, and is speckled with 

 darker spots. Pithecolobium Clypearia? from south-eastern Asia, con- 

 tains beside a quantity of tannin, a dye used for colouring nets, 

 which it preserves from decay. A lovely crimson is contained in the 

 flowers of P. Junghuhnianum Benth., which is, when in flower, one of 

 the handsomest trees in Japan. P. parvifolium™ from the West 

 Indies, contains a fine orange yellow dye-stuff in its pods, obtained 

 by crushing the pulp ; and the bark of Inga marginata? from 



1 Rosenth., op. cit., 1063. 



2 DC, Prodr., ii. 458, a. 105.— H. By., in 

 Adaiisonia, ix. 107, n. 16. — Mimosa ferruginea 

 Roxb., Fl. hid., ii. 561. 



3 Mimosa lucida Roxb., Fl. lud., ii. 544. — 

 Albizzia lucida Benth., in Hook. Journ.,\\\. 86. 



4 Benth. — Rosenth., op. cit., 1063. — 

 Mimosa Jiringa Jack. — M. Ka-ringa Roxb. 



5 Benth. — H. BN.,in Adatisonia, vi. 204, t. iv. 

 fig. 5. — Owala of the natives of the Gaboon. 



6 Lour., Fl. Cochinc/t., ed. Ulyssip. (1790), 

 651. — Rosenth., op. cit , 1053. 



7 See p. 41, notes 1, 2. 



8 A. odorata Desvx. 



9 Benth. — Rosenth., op. cit., 1063. — Inga 

 Clypecuria Jack. — Acacia magnifulia Jcngu. — 



>sa trapezifoUa Roxb. 



10 Benth. — Inga Martha- Spkeng., ex DC, 

 Prodr., ii. 441, n. 103. The fruit shares the 

 name of Alga rov ilia with several others in the 

 Antilles. 



11 W. (nee H. B. K., Nov. Gen. ct Spec, vi. 

 285). — Mimosa fagifolia L. (ex Rosenth., op. 

 cit., 1065). 



