142 FRUITS 



Ajowan Fruits. The fruits of Carum copticum, Bentham and Hooker films 

 (N.O. Umbelliferce), India ; greyish-brown about 2 mm. long, compressed, with 

 short protuberances ; odour of thymol. The volatile oil (3 to 4 per cent.) con- 

 tains thymol (30 to 40 per cent.). Used as a source of thymol ; in India as a 

 spice. 



Chenopodium (American Wormseed). The fruits of Chenopodium ambrosioides, 

 Linne and C. ambrosioides, var. anthelminticum, Gray (N.O. Chenopodiacece). 

 Fruits very small, about 1-5 mm. in diameter, globular, greenish yellow or 

 brown, depressed, enveloped by the persistent calyx ; in each a single, small 

 brownish-black lenticular seed. Odour strong, recalling eucalyptus. Contains 

 volatile oil (3 to 4 per cent.). Used as an anthelmintic. 



Parsley Fruits. The fruits of Carum Petroselimtm, Bentham and Hooker 

 (N.O. Umbelliferce). Fruits about 2 mm. long, 1 to 2 mm. thick, laterally com- 

 pressed, ovate, greyish green or greenish brown ; odour and taste aromatic. 

 Chief constituent volatile oil (2 to 5 per cent.) containing apiol (C 12 H 14 O 4 ) which 

 separates in crystals on standing or on cooling (parsley camphor). Commercial 

 apiol is a greenish viscous oily liquid obtained by exhausting the fruits with 

 ether and distilling. Yellow apiol is a purified form of commercial apiol. Apiol 

 is used in dysmenorrhcea and amenorrhcea. 



Cashew Nuts (East Indian Almonds). The seeds of Anacardium occidentale, 

 Linne (N.O. Anacardiacece), West Indies. Peduncle of fruit large, fleshy, pear- 

 shaped, sweet, edible. Fruit reniform, up to 3 cm. long, brownish ; in the 

 mesocarp dark brown, oily, very acrid and irritant secretion. Seed reniform, 

 taste bland, edible. Chief constituents of the oily secretion cardol (yellowish 

 oily, irritant and vesicant), anacardic acid, tannin ; in the seed 40 to 50 per cent, 

 fixed oil. The fruits of Semecarpus Anacardium, Linne (N.O. Anacardiacece) 

 India, are flattened cordate ; the mesocarp contains a similar secretion. Cardol 

 exposed to the air gradually turns black and may be used to prepare an 

 indelible ink, hence the fruits are sometimes called ' marking nuts.' 



Pearl Barley (Hordeum Decorticatum). The dried fruit of Hordeum distichon, 

 Linne (N.O. Graminece), from which the enclosing firmly attached paleae, pericarp 

 and seed-coats have been more or less completely removed by milling, the 

 elongated barley grain being thereby reduced to a small rounded grain with a 

 groove containing remains of the various coats on one side. Chief constituents 

 are starch and proteids. 



Malt is barley which has been induced to germinate by moistening it and 

 has then been dried. It contains the enzyme diastase which is capable of con- 

 verting gelatinised starch into dextrin and maltose. Taka-diastase is a similar 

 enzyme obtained by growing the fungus Eurotium oryzce on cooked rice. 



