ANACARDIACEiE. 183 



was constantly employed for this purpose by the Caribs, and still forms an 

 ingredient of many dishes among the negroes. In Martinique the berries 

 constitute the basis of a much-esteemed cordial. 



Group XII. — Rutales. 



Order 30.— ANACARDIACE^.— R. Brown. 



Flowers perfect or diclinous, regular. Sepals 5, or 3 — 4 — 7, usually persistent. Petals 

 as many as sepals, or wanting ; aestivation imbricated. Stamens as many as petals, or 

 sometimes more, distinct, with introrse anthers. Ovary solitary, free, 1-celled, with a 

 solitary ovule ; styles 3 or 4 — 5. Fruit indehiscent, commonly drupaceous, 1 -seeded. 

 Seed erect or suspended, exalbuminous, with a more or less curved embryo, and very 

 thick and fleshy, sometimes foliaceous cotyledons. 



This order is composed of trees or shrubs having a resinous, gummy, or 

 milky caustic juice. The leaves are alternate, simple or ternate, or unequally 

 pinnate, without any pellucid dots. It formerly was included in the Terebin- 

 thaceae, but was separated by Brown ; as now constituted, it may be distin- 

 guished by the seeds hanging from a thread, which rises from the base of the 

 carpels, which are usually solitary or distinct, and sometimes, when mature, 

 on a very large disk. The species are principally natives of tropical cli- 

 mates, but some are found beyond these limits, especially those belonging to 

 Rhus. 



The general characters of these plants are acridity and causticity in the 

 bark and leaves, though the fruit is often edible and delicious. That of the 

 Mango (Mangifera) is deservedly esteemed, and is considered one of the finest 

 of the tropical productions ; and those of several species of Spondias are also 

 in much repute ; the best is that of the S. dulcis, which has been compared 

 to the Pine apple in flavour and aroma ; the juice of the S. tuberosa is used 

 in Brazil in fevers, and the bark of the S. venulosd as an aromatic astrin- 

 gent, in diarrhoea, gonorrhoea. The fruits of Anacardium occidentale and 

 Semecarpus anacardium, are enlarged and fleshy receptacles, supporting a 

 reniform seed. This receptacle is edible and cooling, but is not much used, 

 except for sweetmeats. The nut has an exterior covering, formed of two. 

 laminse, between which is a caustic, bitter juice, which stains an indelible 

 black, and is capable of causing,. in most persons, an erysipelatous eruption, 

 resembling that produced by the Poison Vine, but even more severe ; it is 

 sufficiently acrid to destroy warts, corns, dec, and is sometimes used for such 

 purposes. The almond is white, of an agreeable taste, and furnishes an oil 

 which is said to be anthelmintic. The nut is roasted, to drive off the acrid 

 juice of the shell, before it is eaten. 



Many of these plants abound in a viscid juice, which soon turns black, and 

 is much used for varnishes. That most generally employed is from the 

 Semecarpus anacardium and Melanorrhcea usissatissima. These varnishes 

 are very poisonous to most persons, affecting them like the Cashew nut above 

 spoken of. The black varnish of Japan is from the Stagmaria verniciflua. 

 Several others of these plants furnish an analogous product, as the Augia 

 chinensis, Odina wodin, Buchanania latifolia, &c. 



The Schinus molle is so replete with a resinous juice, that if its leaves are 

 broken and thrown into water, the resin escapes so rapidly as to give them 

 the appearance of spontaneous motion. The resin of the bark is used in 

 Peru, and said to be purgative, and also to strengthen the gums. The fruits 

 are made into an intoxicating liquor by fermentation. (Feuillee Plant. Med. 



