594 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



membrane; seeds anatropous, oblong or flattened-quadrangular, 

 12 to 14 mm. long, 8 to 11 mm. broad, 5 to 7 mm. thick, dark 

 reddish-brown, smooth, one edge furrowed, transversely striate, 

 very hard ; cotyledons plano-convex. 



East Indian Tamarind. — In blackish cakes, containing less 

 sugar and more acid. 



Constituents. — Tartaric acid 5 to 9 per cent. ; citric acid 3 

 to 6 per cent. ; potassium bitartrate 6 to 7.3 per cent., and other 

 salts of organic acids; invert sugar 32 to 42 per cent. ; tannin (in 

 the seed-coats). 



Allied Plants. — The pulp of the fruits of several species of 

 Nephelium (Fam. Sapindacese), of Southern China, resembles 

 tamarind. 



LUPULINUM.— LUPULIN.— A powder separated from 

 Hops (see Humulus), and consisting chiefly of the glandular 

 hairs. Lupulin may be systematically separated from the hops, 

 or it may be obtained as a by-product during the handling of the 

 hops. Commercial lupulin consists for the most part of sweep- 

 ings collected where hops are prepared for the market, the extra- 

 neous matter being removed by sifting and washing. The pow- 

 der is then carefully dried and preserved. 



Description. — Granular, yellowish- or reddish-brown, con- 

 sisting,of glandular hairs with a somewhat globular or ellipsoidal, 

 bright-yellow, multicellular head o.i to 0.3 mm. in diameter 

 (Fig. 298) ; odor aromatic; taste aromatic and bitter. 



Not less than 60 per cent, of lupulin should be soluble in 

 ether, and the ash should not be more than 10 per cent. 



Constituents. — A volatile oil, identical with that of hops, 

 about 3 per cent. ; a crystalline bitter principle lupamaric acid 

 (hop bitter), which becomes yellow on exposure to air and on 

 hydrolysis yields lupuliretin and a crystalline substance lupulic 

 acid ; a tasteless resin ; myricin ; valerianic acid, which together 

 with the oil is obtained on the distillation of lupulin with water; 

 and ash from 3 to 5 per cent. 



The volatile oil of hops or lupulin is sparingly soluble in alco- 

 hol and is not converted into valerianic acid by means of oxidizing 

 agents. This acid is, however, produced upon treating the extract 

 of hops with potassium permanganate. 



