139 UNCARIA GAMBIER 



ovate segments, hairy externally, and with a tuft of hairs at the 

 base of each segment within. Stamens 5, inserted in the throat 

 of the corolla, filaments excessively short, anthers long, 2 -celled, 

 with pointed bases. Ovary inferior, 2-celled, style very long, 

 protruding much beyond the mouth of the corolla and ending in 

 a club-shaped stigma. Fruit about 1 inch long, on a long stalk, 

 narrow-ovoid, tapering at each end, pericarp dry, splitting into 

 two layers when ripe, and dehiscing vertically into two valves, the 

 valves of the outer layer remaining attached at the apex. Seeds 

 very numerous, minute, pale brown, rough, with a long, trans- 

 parent tail at each end, one split almost to the base, the other 

 entire. 



Habitat. This shrub is found in the Island of Pulo Penang, 

 and other districts about the Straits of Malacca, also in Sumatra 

 and in Ceylon, and is now cultivated in numerous and extensive 

 plantations in the neighbourhood of Singapore. It appears that 

 the curious axillary hooks are frequently produced without bear- 

 ing any heads of flowers. 



U. acida, Roxb., is figured in Berg and Sch., t. 33 e ; it is 

 said to differ from U. Gambier in possessing a more angular stem, 

 deeply bifid stipules, and an acid taste in the leaves, and is also 

 found at Pulo Penang. Probably it may be reduced to a variety 

 of the species under notice. 



Hunter, in Trans. Linn. Soc., ix (1808), p. 218; DC. Prod., iv, 

 p. 347 ; Roxburgh, Fl. Indica, i, p. 517 ; Lindl., Fl. Med., p. 405. 



Official Part and Name. CATECHU PALLIDUM ; an extract of the 

 leaves and young shoots (B. P.). An extract obtained from the 

 leaves and young shoots (I. P.). Not official in the Pharmacopoeia 

 of the United States. 



Uncaria acida, Roxb., appears also to be used in the prepara- 

 tion of Catechu pallidum, but it is not official. 



Commercial Kinds of Catechu. The term Catechu is applied to 

 various astringent extracts, of which the following three are more 

 especially known in commerce : 1. Gambier, the one now to be 

 described under the official name of Catechu pallidum ; 2. Cutch, 



