LEGUMINOS^. 481 



eighty feet, and sometimes has a diameter of three feet. Its wood is 

 durable. According to Bertoloni, a kind of Ebony is the produce of 

 Fomasinia ehenifera, a papilionaceous plant, found in Caflfraria, near 

 Mozambique. Rosewood is said to be the timber of two or three 

 species of Triptolomea. It is rare to find papilionaceous plants pro- 

 ducing double flowers. The Whin is one of the plants which exhibits 

 this monstrosity. Desmodium or Hedysarum gyrans (the Gorachand 

 of Bengal) exhibits a remarkable irritability in its leaves (p. 378). 

 There are certain poisonous plants in this sub-order. The seeds and 

 bark of Gytisus Laburnum are narcotic ; such is said also to be the 

 case with those of Lathyrus Oicera and L. Aphaca. The roots of many 

 species of Phaseolus, as P. muUiflarus', the Scarlet-runner, and P. radi- 

 atus, are poisonous. The branches and leaves of Tephroda toxicaria, 

 and the bark of the root of Piscidia erythrina, Jamaica Dogwood, are 

 employed as fish poisons. Physostigma venenosiim yields the Calabar 

 ordeal-bean (see figure Trans, B. Soc. Ed., vol. xxii.) It causes con- 

 traction of the pupil. The plant has a remarkable hooded stigma 

 (fig. 445; p. 250). Gompholobium uncinatum has poisoned sheep in 

 the Swan Eiver colony. Coronilla varia acts as a narcotic poison. 

 The leaves of it and of Coronilla Emerus are sometimes used to adul- 

 terate Senna. 



Sub-order CoesalpiniecB. In this section there are many plants 

 which furnish purgative remedies. Among these may be noticed, vari- 

 X)us species of Cassia, C. lanceolata, acutifoUa, elongata, obtuiata, and 

 olovata, supply the various kinds of Senna known as Alexandrian or 

 Egyptian, Tripoli, and East Indian Senna. Other species also, as 

 Cassia marilandica, Ahsus, corymbosa, bijlora, tomentosa, alata, and Por- 

 twegalis, have purgative leaves. Cassia Fistula, called also Catlarto- 

 carpus Fistula, has an indehisoent pod, divided by numerous transverse 

 phragmata (fig. 429, p. 244), and containing a laxative pulp, which 

 is a secretion from the endocarp. A pulp having simUar properties is 

 procured from the pericarp of Tamarindus vndica, the Tamarind-tree. 

 The pod of Geratonia Siliqua. is known as the Algaroba-bean, and is 

 used occasionally for feeding horses. The tree is denominated Carob- 

 tree, and sometimes Locust-tree, or St. John's Bread, from an errone- 

 ous idea that the pods supplied food to John the Baptist in the wUder- 

 ness. The pods of Hymencea Courbaril, the West Indian Locust-tree, 

 supply a nutritious matter; its inner bark is anthelmintic, and the 

 plant yields a kind of resin called Animd The bark of Ouilandina 

 Bonducella, the Nicker-tree, is bitter, tonic, and its seeds are said to be 

 emetic. The curved pods of Ccesalpinia coriaria, under the name of 

 Divi-divi are used for tanning. Ccesalpinia brasiliensis yields the 

 Brazil-wood of commerce ; and the Mora-wood of Guiana is yielded by 

 a large tree called Mora excelsa. Many dyes are furnished by the 

 plants of this sub-order. Hxmatoxylon campechianum gives Logwood 



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