.121 



Cf)e Crra^urg of 38otanj». 



[tama 



TAMARIND. The pleasant acid fruit of 

 Tamarindus indica. — , BASTARD. Aca- 

 cia Julibrissin. —, — , of Jamaica. Acacia 

 trichophylloides. — , BLACK. Codarium 

 aeuW'olium, — , BROWN. Codarium. — , 

 MANILLA. The fruit of Pithecolobium 

 dulce. — , NATIVE, of New South Wales. 

 Cupania australis. — , VELVET. The 

 African name for the fruits of Codarium 

 acutifolium. — , WILD. Codarium; also 

 Pithecolobium fllicifolium. — , — , of Ja- 

 maica. Acacia arborea. — , — , of Trinidad. 

 Pentaclethra filamentosa. —, YELLOW. 

 Acacia villosa. 



TAMARINDUS. This name is supposed 

 to he derived from the Arabic Tamar sig- 

 nifying 'dates,' and Indus in allusion to 

 the country whence the tree was originally 

 I derived. Botanically it is applied to a 

 i genus of Leguminosce, characterised by a 

 calyx which is tubular at the lower part, 

 but above hasatwo-lipped limb— the upper 

 lip of three reflexed segments, the lower 

 of two segments ; petals three, the central 

 one hood-like ; stamens nine to ten, of 

 ■which seven are short and sterile ; pod 

 many-seeded, filled with pulp. 



The Tamarind-tree, T. indica, is the only 

 species, but it has two varieties, charac- 



Tamarindus indica. 



terised by the varying length of the pod. 

 The East Indian variety has long pods, with 

 six to twelve seeds, whereas the variety 

 I cultivated in the West Indies has much 

 shorter pods, containing one to four seeds. 

 The tree has an elegant appearance, from 

 its graceful pinnated foliage and its ra- 

 cemes of sweet-smelling flowers, the calyx 

 of which is yellow, the petals yellow 

 streaked with red, the filaments purple, 

 and the anthers brown. The tamarind- 

 pods imported from the East Indies vary in 

 length frnm three to six inches, and are 

 slightly curved. They consist of a brittle 

 brown shell, within which is a soft acid 

 brown pulp, traversed by strong woody 

 fibres ; the seeds are again immediately 

 invested by a thin membranous covering. 

 West Indian tamarinds are usually im- 



ported preserved in syrup, the outer shell 

 having been removed. 



Tamarinds owe their grateful acidity to 

 the presence of citric tartaric and other 

 vegetable acids. In addition to their 

 cooling qualities they act as gentle laxa- 

 tives, and are useful in some forms of 

 sore-throat. The pulp mixed with salt is 

 used as a liniment in rheumatism by the 



Tamarindus indica (fruit). 



Creoles of the Mauritius. The seeds are em- 

 ployed medicinally by the natives of Ben- 

 gal in dysentery, and they are also used 

 by the Cingalese as food in times of 

 scarcity, the dark outer skin being re- 

 moved by maceration. Fowdered, the 

 seeds are employed as a poultice to boils ; 

 this powder also is mixed witli thin glue 

 to form a very strong cement for wood. 

 The flowers of the tree are used in Ceylon 

 in cases of liver-disease. Medicinal virtues 

 are also ascribed to the leaves, which are 

 used internally in jaundice, and externally 

 as an application to sore eyes or ulcers. 

 An infusion of the leaves is employed to 

 furnish a yellow dye. In the Mauritius a de- 

 coction of the bark is used in asthma, and 

 as a tonic and astringent in dysentery. 

 The timber is valuable for building pur- 

 poses, and furnishes excellent charcoal for 

 the manufacture of gunpowder. Tama- 

 rinds form an important ingredient in 

 Indian cookery, especially in curries ; and 

 they are also used in Western India in pre- 

 serving or pickling fish, which under the 

 name of tamarind-fish is considered a de- 

 licacy. 



It is said that no plants will grow undei 

 the shade of the Tamarind- hence it is 

 considered unsafe to sleep under the trees. 

 It is also said that the acid moisture 

 they exhale, does really affect the cloth of 

 tents, if they are allowed to remain under 

 the trees for any length of time. The 

 Tamarind-tree has long been cultivated in 

 English stoves, but rarely perfects its flow- 

 ers and fruit in this country. [M. T. M.] 



TAMARTNIER. (Fr.) Tamarindus. — 

 DES HATJTS. Acacia heterophylla. 



TAMARISK. Tamarix. — , GERMAN. 

 Myricaria germanica. 



TAMARIX. Shrubs or small trees giving 

 name to the order Tamaricacem, well 

 marked hy their twiggy branches, minute 

 scale-like leaves, and small spiked flowers. 



