THE BLUE DYES OF CHINA AND INDIA. 125 



India being derived from this species. Roxburgh particularly extolled the 

 quality of this indigo, which was prepared for him by the natives. 



Cuddapah Indigo. — This, which is an excellent kind of indigo, is 

 obtained from Indigofera anil. The same species is probably employed in 

 other parts of India. 



Siamese Indigo. — All the indigo manufactured in Siam is obtained from 

 wild plants, which are abundant. The quality of this indigo is good, though 

 inferior to that of Java and Manila. 



Palas Indigo. — This indigo, the produce of the leaves of Wrightia 

 tinctoria (Nerium tinctorium), is manufactured in Southern India. In the 

 Carnatic it is made in small quantities for home use. It so much resem- 

 bles, in appearance, the true indigo, that it has been sent over and sold in 

 the English market as genuine indigo, and realised the price of an East 

 Indian indigo of medium quality. From samples which we have seen we 

 doubt whether even the experienced e3 r e could detect the difference. Had 

 such been the case the substitution already alluded to would not have been 

 so successful. This indigo is also called Lilaroum. 



A blue dye, analogous to indigo, is obtained from a twining plant 

 Gymnemia tingens (Asclepias tingens, Roxb). The Burmese are also said to 

 obtain a green colour from the leaves. We are not aware of the introduc- 

 tion of this indigo into commerce, nor of any extensive manufacture for 

 trade purposes. 



Taroum Akkar. — The blue obtained from Marsdenia tinctoria (Asclepias 

 tinctoria, Roxb.) is used as a dye in several parts of India, and of the 

 Indian Archipelago, especially in Pegu and Sumatra. Roxburgh obtained 

 from the leaves, by means of hot water, a quantity of indigo considerably 

 stronger in his opinion than that obtained from Indigofera tinctoria. 



Tarcem Aroi. — In the island of Java Marsdenia parviflora is cultivated, 

 and yields a blue dye resembling the Taroem akkar of Sumatra. It is a 

 kind of indigo, for Tarcem signifies Indigo. 



Keen-boon-thee. — A cake of a pale green indigo-looking substance 

 was exhibited at one of the Madras Exhibitions from Pegu. It was stated 

 to be prepared from the leaves of Acacia rugata. But no account of the 

 uses of the dye was given. It would probably answer the purposes of an 

 inferior indigo. 



Tantepu. — Under this name and that of Tagarapu the seeds of Cassia- 

 tora are exported from the Northern Circars for dyeing blue with indigo. 

 They are used in Vizagapatam and also in Bellary. The process has not 

 transpired. 



Roum of Assam. — The dye named Roum by the natives of Assam is 

 prepared in the valley of the Berhampooter. It is extracted from a species 

 of Ruellia, an acanthaceous plant. This plant (the specific name of which 

 is unknown), or a species nearly allied to it, is cultivated with the same 

 object in Pegu, and other parts of the Burmese empire. The Roum must 

 not be confounded with another substance called Lilaroum. Dr. Falconer 

 thinks that the Roum contains indigo of the same kind as that yielded by 



