N. 0. GDCURBITAOEiE. 655 



celled, globose, fin. diam., " on brae teolate pedicels, ^in. long," 

 says Brandis. Seeds few, vertically imbircate, much compressed. 



Uses: — The berries of this tree are known as "wild coffee." 

 The roasted and powdered seeds were submitted to Brig-Gen. 

 A. Kenney Herbert, a great authority on Indian cookery, and 

 he reported as follows : — The percolated liquor had a remarkably 

 pleasant taste, having a marked flavour of coffee. Indeed, the 

 only difference I could detect was this : the liquor was not 

 so dark in tint as coffee, being more golden-brown than 

 dark brown, and the beverage brewed seemed not quite so 

 strong as would have been produced by a similar quantity 

 of coffee powder. There can be no doubt of the distinct coffee- 

 like properties of this powder, and the absence of any twang 

 or conflicting flavour to mar its pleasant taste (Pharmaco- 

 graphia Tndica, Vol. II., p. 226). 



607. Canthium didymum, Boxb. h.f.bj., hi. 132 ; 

 Roxb. 180. 



Syn. : — Plectornia didynia, Kurz, Psydrax dicoccos, Goeru. 



Vern. : — Garbhagojha (Santal) ; Yerkoli (Tarn.) ; Yellal, 

 porawa-mara, galkaranda (Kan.). 



Habitat : — Sikkim Himalaya, and distributed east to the 

 Khasia and Jayntea Mountains. Also met with in Chutia 

 Nagpur and in the Western Peninsula, from the Concan south- 

 wards. . 



A stout, evergreen, unarmed glabrous shrub, Leaves very 

 variable, 2-6 by J-4in., very coriaceous, polished above, usually 

 obtusely caudate-acuminate, base acute obtuse or even cordate, 

 nerve-axils eglandular ; petiole i-|in. Cymes compressed, 

 subsessile or on a short peduncle, ^-lin., sometimes puberulous. 

 Bracts short or 0. Flowers 5-merous. Calyx truncate or ob- 

 scurely toothed. Corolla campanulate, tube iVi* 11 - ; lobes 5, 

 subacute. Style glabrous ; stigma subquadrate, notched or 

 2-fid. Fruit very variable, J-|in. globose or ellipsoid or obovoid 

 compressed, subciidymous, putamen rugose. (J. D. Hooker). 



