948 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
Tagua-tagua. See Passiflora foetida. 
Talantala. See Herpetica alata. 
Talantron. See Casearia bicolor. 
Talauma plumieri. MAGNOLIA. 
Family Magnoliaceae: a tree 20 meters high, rarely cultivated in gardens for 
its fragrant white flowers; native in the French islands. (Stahl, 2: 21.) 
Talaumo. 
This appears as a common name in fiill’s list of trees of the mountains, and 
probably conceals a reference to the genus Talauma, a species of which, according 
to Eggers, furnishes a wood called *‘sabino.’’ This Talauma turns out, however, 
to be a Magnolia, and has been described by Urban as I. splendens. 
Talinum racemosum. 
Family Portulacaceae; a coarse fleshy herb, collected by Sintenis at Anasco; 
our specimens from Rio Piedras were called ** verdolaguilla.”’ 
Tallote.—See-Sechiwm edacle. . era : 
This name is doubtless a local corruption of *‘tayote,’’ the tendency among 
the lower classes being to interchange y and (1, which they pronounce much alike. 
Tallow tree. See Sapiwm sebiferum. 
Tamarind. See Tamarindus indica. 
Tamarindillo. See Chamaecrista glandulosa. 
Tamarindo. See Tamarindus indica. 
Tamarindus indica. TAMARIND. TAMARINDO. 
A large fine-leaved leguminous tree, very common in Porto Rico and widely cul- 
tivated in the Tropics for the fleshy edible pods, which have a pleasant, decidedly 
sour taste, due to the presence of several vegetable acids, including citric and tar- 
taric. According to the Treasury of Botany the tamarinds of the East differ from 
those of Porto Rico and the other West Indies. in that the pods havea brittle brown 
shell and contain from 6 to 12 seeds instead of from 1 to 4. Considerable quanti- 
ties of tamarinds are imported into Europe and America, either dried or preserved 
in sirup. They are largely used in the preparation of acid cooling drinks, and 
are believed to have a beneficial laxative effect on the system. To the tamarind 
are also ascribed numerous other virtues, which have been well summarized in the 
work mentioned above. 
In addition to their cooling qualities they act as gentle laxatives, and are useful 
in some forms of sore throat. The pulp mixed with salt is used as a liniment in 
rheumatism by the Creoles of the Mauritius. Theseedsareemployed medicinally 
by the natives of Bengal in dysentery, and they are also used by the Cingalese as 
food in times of scarcity, the dark outer skin being removed by maceration. 
Powdered, the seeds are employed as a poultice to boils; this powder also is mixed 
with 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 Mauritius a decoction of the bark is used in asthma and as a tonic 
and astringent in dysentery. The timber is valuable for building purposes, and 
furnishes excellent charcoal forthe manufacture of gunpowder. Tamarinds form 
an important ingredient in Indian cookery, especially in curries; and they are 
also used in western India in preserving or pickling fish, which under the name 
of tamarind-fish is considered a delicacy. 
Tt is said that no plants will grow under 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 wood is of good weight and more than ordinarily hard. The texture is 
rather compact and the grain fine. In color it is a dirty white or yellowish. It 
is not used. Specific gravity, 0. 948. (Grosourdy, 2: 414.) 
