370 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTOii^ SOCIETY, Vol X. 



hexapetalum (Lam.), has for its synonym Alangi'um harangolam (Adans.) 

 classed under family ^/aw(/zac^ce. At page 71 of the same brochure 

 there is the following remark, which is worth reproducing : — " The sage- 

 leaved Alangium described by Linnseus is also considered the Alangium 

 decapetaliim of Lamarck and the Alangium acuminatum: of Wight." 



In a small book, which now seems to be almost forgotten, but never- 

 theless valuable, published in Bombay so far back as 1840 (2nd 

 Edition), by James Chesson in his " Times Press," under the title of 

 " Manual of Gardening in Western India," and written by Mr. R. 

 Riddell, there is a very important note (at page 71), which I may well 

 reproduce here, fully believing that Mr. Riddell was then noting his 

 personal experience. " Alangium, decapitelum * (sic), native anhool^'' 

 says he, " is a small tree with whitish flowers ; the petals vary on the 

 same tree from six, eight to ten. The fruit is astringent, but eaten by 

 natives." I quote these remarks with a view to group the Alangium 

 specigs^ or call them mere varieties, if you like, under one head, viz., 

 Alangium Lamarckii, no matter what the floral envelopes be, as re- 

 gards the number of their respective parts, on the nature of their 

 development. Dr. Balfour notes, what I have not seen noted else- 

 where, that the wood of A. decapetalum is said to be peculiarly sonorous. 



" In Ganjam," says he, " the leading bullock has a bell of it termed 



lodoke round its neck, the sound being heard to a great distance in 



the iungle." 



POISONOUS PROPERTIES. 



Eaillon remarks, on the authority of Lamarck and DeCandolle, that 



^'■Alangium decapetalum and Alangium hexapetalum are said to be 



purgative and diuretic"! Brandis says that tlie root is aromatic. As 



will be seen from my remarks later on, I have sufficient reason to 



believe that the bark of the root is poisonous. Only remember, pray, 



that I use the word " poisonous'^ in its widest sense. It has distinctly 



dangerous emetic properties, followed by a weakened action of the 



heart. Here may be noted what 1 gather from the celebrated Rheede 



of sacred Botanic memory. Rheede says, J in sufficiently distinct 



terms, that " the root is acrid and bitter." The words used as regards 



odour in Rheede's work, written in Latin, are " Odor gravis.'* I 



• The proper word ie decwpetalum. — K.R.K. 



•j- Baillon's Natural History of Plants, vol. vi, page '279. 



X Jlortus Malabaricus, vol. iV; pp. 55 56, tab. 26. 



