N. 0. BURIAOE^l. 651 



melting, the chief product being a substance crystallising in colourless 

 needles. Moist randiasapogeuin dissolves in strong sulphuric acid to a yellow 

 solution, which shows a characteristic green fluorescence. 



Randic acid, C 30 H 52 O 10 , appears to be a monobasic acid of the series 

 G n H2^-8^io' characterised by Kobert as the saponin series, and exists, appa- 

 rently, in loose combination with randiasaponin. It crystallises from alcohol 

 in white, nodular masses, and melts at 208—210°. It is sparingly soluble in 

 water and ether, freely in alcohol, acetic acid, and concentrated sulphuric 

 acid ; solutions of the alkali salts froth very readily. The potassium salt is 

 insoluble in alcohol. The calcium, barium, ferrous, ferric, copper, lead, mer- 

 curous, and mercuric salts are mentioned. Randic acid resembles quillayic 

 acid in dissolving red blood corpuscles without destroying the colouring 

 matter, and in precipitating albumins and peptones. To these properties, 

 and the similar property of randiasaponin, the poisonous character of the 

 fruit is probably due. 



Randiatannic acid exists in small quantity in the pericarp, and is a brown, 

 very hygroscopic mass, which is freely soluble in ether, as well as in water 

 and alcohol. It gives a green coloration with ferric chloride, and a yellow 

 precipitate with basic lead acetate, and reduces alkaline copper solution. 



One of the products of the decomposition of randiatannic acid appears to 

 be randia-red, C 3 3H 34: O 205 a substance to which the brown colour of the peri- 

 carp of the fruit is due ; this is precipitated by acids from the alkaline 

 extract as a brown powder, which is insoluble in water, alcohol, and ether, 

 but easily soluble in alkalis. The solutions give reddish precipitates with 

 lead acetate and alum. A brownish-red colouring matter, probably the ammo- 

 nium-derivative, is precipitated by ammonia from the acid mother liquor ; 

 it forms a harsh mass resembling asphalt, and is soluble in hot water ; it is 

 decomposed by caustic soda with evolution of ammonia. 



Randia fat is a yellowish-green substance of the consistence of butter ; 

 it melts at 28—29°, and its sp.gr. is 0'9175 at 20° The acid number isl3'8; 

 the ester number, 146*4 ; the saponification number, 160*2 ; and the iodine 

 number, after two hours, 4324. (J. Ch. S. 1895 pp. 189-190). 



602. Gardenia lucida, Eoxb. h.f.b.i., hi. 115 ; 

 Roxb. 237. 



Vern. : — Dikamali (EL and Guz.) ; Konda-manga, tetta- 

 manga kuru (C. P.) ; Kariuga (Tel). ; Kumbi (Tam.). 



Habitat: — Western Peninsula, common from the Concan 

 southwards to Chittagong. 



A small deciduous tree. Shoots resinous. Bark |in. 

 thick, greenish grey, exfoliating in irregular flakes. Wood 

 yellowish white, close-grained, hard ; no heartwood, no annual 

 rings (Gamble). Leaves 3-10 by 2-5im, elliptic-oblong, narrow- 

 ed into the short marginate petiole. Secondary nerves 20-25 



