TAMARINDS 



99 



hard. When cut transversely they exhibit a curved yellow embryo 

 obliquely crossing a whitish horny endosperm. The pulp has a 

 sweetish taste and a somewhat sickly odour. 



The pods are exported from the West Indies (Dominica) and from 

 Java. From the West Indies they arrive in 

 cylindrical baskets made of plaited split canes. 



The student should observe 



(a) The smooth surface and long cylindrical 



(b) The spurious dissepiments with adhering 



pulp, 



(c) The odour and taste. 



Constituents. The pulp, which is the only 

 official part of the fruit, is separated by crushing 

 the fruits, macerating them with water, straining 

 the liquid, and evaporating it to a soft extract. 

 It contains about 50 per cent, of sugar and also 

 oxymethylanthraquinones (not yet investigated) ; 

 both of these probably contribute to its laxative 

 action. 



Substitutes. Pods of Cassia grandis, Linne 

 (horse cassia). Longer, thicker and heavier than 

 those of C. Fistula ; laterally compressed ; surface 

 rough ; one prominent ridge on the dorsal and 

 two on the ventral suture ; odour of pulp dis- 

 agreeable, taste bitter and astringent. 



Pods of C. moschata, Humboldt, Bonpland and 

 Kunth. Smaller and narrower than those of 

 C. Fistula ; pulp paler, odour musk-like. 



Uses. Cassia pulp is laxative, but is seldom used 

 except as an ingredient in confection of senna. 



FIG. 55. Cassia Fis- 

 tula. Lower por- 

 tion of a pod partly 

 opened to show the 

 seeds. S, seed ; 

 w, transverse 

 dissepiments ; 6, 

 pericarp of fruit. 

 (M o e 1 1 e r, after 

 Wiesner.) 



TAMARINDS 



(TamarinduSj Fructus Tamarindi) 



Source, &c. The tamarind tree, Tamarindus 

 indica, Linne (N.O. Leguminosce) , a large and 

 handsome tree indigenous to tropical Africa is, 

 cultivated throughout India and the West Indies, where it forms a 

 valuable article of diet. The Arabian name of the fruit (Tamare 

 Hindi, or Indian date) would indicate that the Arabians became 

 acquainted with it from the Hindus, and probably introduced it 

 into Europe. 



The tree produces an erect raceme of flowers succeeded by inde- 

 hiscent legumes from 5 to 20 cm. in length. The epicarp of the 



