266 ON THE PRODUCTS OF THE PEA FAMILY. 



Liquorice plant — Glycyrrhiza glabra, L. — a native of Southern Europe, 

 is largely cultivated in Spain, Italy, and Sicily, and likewise to some extent 

 in this country, as in Yorkshire and Surrey, Pontefract heing noted for its 

 growth, from which place the small lozenges called " Pomfret cake s " derive 

 their name. "We received large quantities of the juice from Italy under 

 the name of Spanish Liquorice ; this usually arrives in boxes, packed in 

 dry bay-leaves. It is also imported in sticks, the finest being known as 

 and stamped " Solazzi." In combination with gum, gelatine, &c, various 

 forms of confectionary are produced in this country from the juice. It is 

 likewise employed in medicine on account of its demulcent and pectoral 

 properties ; but one of its most extensive uses is by brewers for colouring 

 porter. Robinia pseudacacia, L., a native of N. America, furnishes a strong 

 and durable wood, capable of taking a high polish. It was introduced to 

 this country (where large trees of it are common) about 1640. 



A fibre is furnished by Sesbania picta, Pers., but appears of little value 

 being very brittle, and of a dark colour. The wood of Hermeniera 

 elaphroxylon, Guil et Perrot, growing in Western Africa, is of a remarkably 

 soft texture, having the appearance of a mass of pith, with the medullary 

 rays and annual rings almost imperceptible. It is also veiy white. It 

 grows to a tolerable size, a specimen in the Museum of the Royal Gardens, 

 Kew, measuring 8 or 9 inches across. It is most probable that the natives 

 employ it in their various manufactures, and for hats, floats, &c, as is the 

 case with JEschynomene aspera. 



The leaves of Colutea arborescens, L., have purgative properties, and are 

 employed to adulterate the blunt senna of the shops. Tragacanth is the 

 gum or sap of several species of Astragalus ; the most esteemed occurs in 

 flakes of an irregular oval shape. This is produced by A. gummifer, Lab., 

 a native of Asia Minor and Koordistan. Tragacanth is known in commerce 

 in two forms, flaky and vermiform, though M. Guibourt, in a letter pub- 

 lished in the ' Pharmaceutical Journal ' in 1855, says the former variety 

 only " occurs in commerce at the present day." Martius attributes this 

 variety to A. verus, Oliv., and the vermiform to A. creticus, Lam. Traga- 

 canth is the nutritive juice of the plant ; the hygrometric properties of the 

 wood being very great, considerable moisture is absorbed by it during the 

 night, which causes the wood to swell to a great extent, so that the bark 

 cracks, and from these openings the gum or sap exudes. Very fine speci- 

 mens of plants of A. gummifer, Lab., in flower, and also of the stems, show- 

 ing the exudation of the gum, were procured by Dr. Hooker in his recent 

 visit to Syria. These may now be seen in the Kew Museum. 



The Chick Pea is the produce of Cicer arietinum, L., an annual plant 

 cultivated to a large extent in the South of Europe, especially in Spain. 

 They contain a large quantity of flesh-forming matter, and are much used 

 by travellers in the deserts, either parched or fried, as they do not become 

 soft by boiling. In India, they are known as " Gram," and are largely 

 employed in curries, cakes, &c, but chiefly for feeding cattle. The natives 

 of Mysore collect the dew from the young plants by spreading a thin 



