N. 0. LEGUMINOS^. 467 



slender; raceme stalked axillary, 6-8in. Bracts setaceous, 

 falling very early. Calyx glabrous, segments separating from 

 flat base. Stamens a little exserted. Filaments very woolly for 

 more than basal half. Petals orbicular, yellow, the upper 

 streaked with red (Brandis). Trimen from Ceylon simply 

 says flowers yellow. Brandis is more accurate. I have seen the 

 plant on Malabar Hill, Bombay, and in Ratnagiri District, on 

 Rajapur Hills. Developes a big starchy tuber or tubers several 

 feet underground from the roots. 



Pod oblong, glabroas, lj-2in. long, 2-4-seeded, turgid, 

 torulose. 



Parts used : — The roots. 



Use : — The root is used in Native practice, and has marked 

 astringent properties. It might be used as such (S. Arjun). 

 It is given internally, in 6 masa doses mixed with milk, ghee, 

 cumin and sugar, in phthisis and scrofulous affections ; when 

 sores exist it is applied externally as well ; a kind of tuberous 

 swelling which is found on the root is preferred (Dymock). 



In some parts of Burma, the root, pounded and mixed 

 with water, is drunk as a febrifuge by some people, and is said 

 also to have an intoxicating effect. 



Previous investigations have shown that the pod-cases of 

 Caesalpinia digyna are useful as a tanning material ; of six 

 samples, one contained 45*45 per cent, of tannin (referred to the 

 dry substance), whilst in the other five the tannin content ranged 

 from 53'82 to 59'89 per cent. The plant occurs plentifully 

 in a wild state in Burma and in Bengal and Assam, and its 

 cultivation in India has been recommended. An experiment 

 consignment of the whole pods was sold recently in London 

 at £14 per ton. As practically the whole of the tannin is 

 contained in the pod-cases, a very large quantity of the seeds 

 would be available if the pods were used commercially as a source 

 of tannin. The results of analyses indicated that if finely ground 

 and mixed with a cheap ground pulse, the seeds might be used 

 for cattle-feeding in India, but they could not be exported 

 profitably. J. Oh. I., Aug. 15, 1912, p. 735. 



" The powdered seeds yield to ether 25'3 per cent, of a thick Jighfc colored 

 oil worthy of further investigation." Agricultural Ledger, 1911-12 No. 5, p. 138. 



