108 THE MEDICINAL PLANTS OF THE PHILIPPINES 



The roasted seeds are used in certain parts of Africa to make 

 an infusion like coffee, for which reason they have been called 

 " Soudan Coffee." 



The pulp was analyzed by Heckel and Schlagdenhauffen in 

 1887 ; it contains 60 f) of its weight of sugar (a mixture of 

 dextrose and levulose), 0.98 /o of free tartaric and citric acids, 

 fats, albuminoids, etc. 



Botanical Description. — A large tree of the first order. 

 Leaves opposite, twice abruptly pinnate. Leaflets small, linear, 

 more than 40 pairs. Principal petiole with one glandule at 

 the base and often another higher up. Calyx long, tubular, 

 with 5 unequal lobules. Corolla, 5 equal petals. Stamens 10, 

 monadelphous. Ovary free, unilocular, multi-ovulate. Pod, 

 1° X 1', woody, much compressed, brown, with many seeds em- 

 bedded in a yellow pulp. 



Habitat. — Abounds in the provinces of central Luzon. 

 Blooms in December. 



Acacia Farnesiana, Willd. (^A. Indica, Desv.; M'miosa 

 Farncmnnu, Ij. and Blanco.) 



NoM. VuLG. — A7-07na, Sp.; CWw/r Flower, Eng. 



Uses. — The trunk bark is astringent and in decoction is of 

 use in the treatment of prolapsed rectum and as an injection 

 for leucorrhoea. A poultice of the tender leaves is applied to 

 ulcers and sores previously washed with the decoction. 



The tree exudes an abundant gum very similar to gum arabic 

 which latter is the product of another s,pecies of acacia {A. 

 Anihii-a., Willd.). The Manila pharmacist, D. Anacleto del 

 Rosario, sent to the Paris Exposition of 1899 a specimen of 

 this gum obtained on the plantation of D. P. P. Roxas, in 

 Batangas. This specimen differed in no respect from gum 

 arabic and it will surely sooner or later take the place of the 

 latter in the Philippines, both for pharmaceutical and industrial 

 purposes. It would be superfluous to describe here the prop- 

 erties of gum arabic. 



