SOYMIDA FEBEIFUGA. (Nat. ord. Meliaceje.) 



SOYMIDA. (A. Juss.) Gen. PI. p. 33S. — GEN. CHAR. Sepals 5 short imbricate, petals 5 spreading uaquioulate contorted, stamen tube short, 

 cupuliform 10 lobed, lobes 2 toothed, anthers sessile between the teeth, disk ring-like, ovary ovoid 5 celled, style short attenuated, stigma dilated 5 sided, 

 ovules numerous in the cells in 2 series pendulous, capsule woody 5 celled 5 valved, dehiscing at the apex septifragal, the thin woody sarcocarp on each 

 valve becoming detached from the endocarp and both from the persistent axis that is 5 angled by the dissipiments, seeds pendulous from the top of the 

 axis imbricated in each cell, flat expanding on all sides but particularly upwards (with the hilum at the extremity) and downwards into a wing ; embryo 

 nearly straight, cotyledons 2 auricled at the apex, radicle conical pointing upwards, concealed between the auricles of the cotyledons, leaves abruptly 

 pinnate, leaflets opposite 3-6 pair, oval-oblong obtuse, panicles large terminal or in the axils of the uppermost leaves. 



SOYMIDA FEBRIFUGA. (Juss.) Roxb. Fl. Ind. ii. p. 398— prod. p. 122. 



A tree of considerable size, not uncommon in the forests of Palghat, Cuddapah, Oumsoor, Mysore and elsewhere in the Madras Presi- 

 dency and in the Central Provinces, Bombay and Bengal. It yields a valuable dull red colored wood that is highly prized by the natives for build- 

 ing purposes and is very durable and strong, but though well adapted for all indoor work, it is apt to split on exposure to the sun. The bark is used 

 as a febrifuge — it is known by the names of Sohn or Rohn in Bengal, Soomi in Teligoo and Shem in Tamil, and is the red cedar of Europeans. 

 Mr. Broughton says that the substance to which the bark owes its bitter taste has the properties of a resin and is of a yellowish while color when 

 pure — it is sparingly soluble in water, but is unsolubleif the water contains acids ; it is soluble in alcohol, ether and benzol, but these liquids do not 

 completely separate it from foreign substances — it contains no nitrogen. 



