160 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
There are but few edible seeds and fruits in Leguminose. The 
pericarp is rarely fleshy. That, however, of Detarium senegalense,’ 
“about as big as an apricot, has a greenish floury flesh, traversed by 
numerous fibres spreading from an orbicular stone resembling that 
of the peach. It is extensively consumed by both negro and monkey, 
and is brought in considerable quantities to the markets of Goree, 
and even of St. Louis.”? The Dialiums of the same country have also 
edible pericarps, especially D. nitidum, which has “ subcompressed 
rounded fruits, black and velvety within, full of a moistish floury 
pulp, of a very agreeable subacid taste, and much prized by negroes, 
monkeys, and other animals.”* In the Courbarils (Hymenea), too, 
it is the pulp produced inside the pericarp that is the edible portion 
of the fruit. Formed, as we have seen, of hairs gorged with starchy 
and resinous matters, it finally dries up and is so usually eaten. The 
pericarp itself is impregnated with astringent resinous matters. 
Astringency is strongly developed, too, in the pericarp of the 
Cesalpinias,’ especially in those hence used for tanning. The chief 
are the Divi-divi or Libidibi pods,’ the fruits of C. coriaria, and the 
Algarobillas or Algarovillos of South America, the fruits of C. gla- 
brata’ (?). The pods of C. crista, corymbosa Brentu., Cacalaco, &c., 
are also rich in tannin. Those of C. drevifolia’ are also exported 
from Chili under the name of Algarrodilos, the pericarp being rich in 
resin and tannin. In the Carobs and Tamarinds it is the mesocarp 
which becomes thick and fleshy ; but the chief principles in its paren- 
chyma are sweet or acid. Thus the Carobs, or Karouda, contain a 
firm, soft, sweet, nutritious flesh, eaten in the Mediterranean and 
used as fodder in Spain under the name of A/garodo and in England 
under that of Locust-beans.’ In the fruits of Zamarindus indica” the 
parenchyma of the mesocarp, when freed from the fibro-vascular 
1Gmuex, Syst, ili. 700.—DC., Prodr., ii. 521. 
—Hoox., Niger, 329.—H. By., in Adansonia, vi. 
200 (Niey-datach of the negroes). 
2 Guin. & Perr., Fl. Sen. Tent., i. 270. 
3 GuritL. & PERR., loc. cit., 268. 
4 W., Spec., ii. 582.--DC., Prodr., ii, 483, u. 
16.—K., Mimos., t. 45.—C. Thomea SPRENG.— 
Poinciana coriaria Jacg., Amer., 123, t. 175, 
fig. 36. 
5 Nacascol, Ouatta-pana, Muata-pana (GUIB., 
Drog. Simpl., ed, 4, ii, 368, fig. 360 ;—Rosrnru., 
op. cit., 1084). 
6H. B. K., Nov. Gen. et Spec., vi. 326.— 
DC., Prodr., nu. 13.—These are perhaps the 
fruits represented by Guibourt (Loc, cit., fig. 361). 
7H. B., Pl. Zquin,, ii, t.187.—DC., Prodr., 
n. 14, 
8 Balsamocarpon brevifolium Cu., apud C. 
Gay, Fl. Chil., ii, 228, t. 20. 
9 From it is prepared a tonic wine and a 
syrup used in Egypt for preserving tamarinds, 
myrobalans, &c. (GUIB., op. cit., ii. 349, fig. 347, 
—Méz. & Det., Dict., ii. 180;— A. Ricu., 
Eilém., éd. 4, ii. 225 ;—Rosrnvu., op. cit., 1046). 
The fruits were the silique dulces of the old 
physicians. 
10 See page 100, n. 1, figs. 73-76.—The wood is 
good for building, cart-making, &c. It is the 
