170 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



especially in Egypt and Arabia. There oil is extracted from the seeds 

 of M. aptera ; x it is sweet, inodorous, and limpid, does not easily turn 

 rancid, and finally separates into two parts, one of which coagulates, 

 while the other always remains fluid. It is used in the extraction of 

 certain perfumes, and the more fluid part is often used by the watch- 

 maker. The embryo is bitter and purgative, acrid especially when 

 fresh, and then a rubefacient ; it is considered a febrifuge in the East. 

 In Egypt the seed is extensively brought to market. It grows on 

 plants raised in Cairo and the neighbourhood from seed imported 

 from Sennaar. The seeds are exported to Syria and Palestine on 

 account of their medicinal and alimentary uses. This is thought 

 to be the tree that Belon saw on Sinai, and named Balanus myrepsica, 

 adding, that the inhabitants " industriously gather its seed, whereof 

 they make a great quantity of oil." It is not, however, found there 

 now ; the Arabs have probably cut down and destroyed all these 

 trees for charcoal. Probably a similar use might be made of the 

 winged Ben, 2 from Tropical India, which also contains a quantity of 

 oil ; but it does not appear to have been used much hitherto. 



1 G-ZERTN., Fruct., ii. 315. — DC, Prodr., ii. 

 478, n. 3. — Decne., in Ann. Sc. Nat., ser. 2, iv. 

 203, t. 6. — Gctib., Drog. Simpl., ed. 6, ill. 387. — 

 Lindl., Fl. Med., 103. — M. zeylanica L., Spec, 

 546.— Pees., Syn., i. 460. — ? M. Nux Ben Desf., 

 ex Del., Fl. Mgypt., 81. — Balanus myrepsica 

 Bel., Obs., 126 (ed. 1553). — Blackw., Herb. 

 t. 386 ? 



2 Moringa pterygosperma G.&BTN., op. cit., 

 314, t. 147. — DC, loc. cit., n. 1. — M. oleifera 

 Lamk., Diet., i. 398. — Quilandina Moringa L., 

 Spec, 546. — Hyperanthera Moringa Vahl, 

 Symb., i. 30. — ? Anoma Moringa L.OUB., Fl. 

 Cochinch. (ed. 1790), 279. 



