N. 0. GERANIACEtE. 239 



Two varieties are known : say some writers sweet and sour. 



K. R. K. The fruit is sour when unripe and acid-sweet 

 when ripe. 



A small densely branched tree. " Bark dark grey with 

 horizontal folds. Wood white, turning light red, moderately 

 hard, close-grained. Pores moderate-sized, often subdivided 

 or disposed in short radial lines, scanty, prominent on a vertical 

 section. Medullary rays very fine, very numerous and regular, 

 somewhat indistinct" (Gamble). Leaves alternate, exstipulate, 

 pinnate with a terminal leaflet. Leaflets subopposite, ovate, 

 acuminate or ovate-lanceolate, acute, glabrous and glaucous 

 beneath, 2-5 pair, lj-3in. ; petiole stout, pubescent. Flowers 

 small, variegated white and purple ; panicles axillary, sometimes 

 on the old wood. Calyx glabrous, half as long as the petals. 

 Stamens 10-5 shorter without anthers, or sometimes one or 

 two of these longer and antheriferous. Ovary pubescent. Fruit 

 yellow, changing into brown ; ellipsoid, Sin. long with 5 pro- 

 minent ridges, converting the fruit into one of 5 acutely angled 

 lobes. Seeds arillate ; aril 2-lobed, lacerated. With regard to 

 the arillus Brandis remarks thus : — Funicle of seed dilated 

 "into a fleshy, bilabiate, irregularly cut arillus." It must be 

 noted that, according to Edge, and Hook, F. the leaflets are 

 irritable to touch. 



Parts used : — The leaves, root and fruit. 



Us.es : — Used as a cooling medicine. 



The acid dried fruit is given in fevers (Irvine p. 55.) It is 

 cooling and useful in feverishness and possesses anti-scorbutic 

 properties (Watt's Dictionary I. p. 360.) 



"The ripe fruit, which is generally sour (though there is a 

 sweet variety) and contains oxalic acid, is a good remedy for 

 bleeding piles, particularly in that variety of the disease which 

 is known as internal piles. I have used it in several cases 

 with more or less benefit, but in a few the result was very satis- 

 factory, the bleeding disappearing rapidly and permanently. 

 There is no doubt that the fruit will also produce a good effect 

 in ha?matemesis, melsena, and some other forms of haemorrhage, 



