210 



In Egypt the seeds are used as food, but are considered very hard 

 and indigestible. Used in ophthalmia (Moloney, For. W. Afr. 

 p. 316 ; Kew Mus. Guide, No. 1, p. 65), and in French Guiana for a 

 similar purpose (Heckel, PL Med. et Toxiq. Guy. Franc, in Ann. 

 l'Inst. Col. Marseille, iv. 1897, p. 133). 



According to Dr. Moura, the seeds have long been used in Brazil 

 for chronic granular conjunctivitis, but require very careful applica- 

 tion. Hindoo medical authors recommend a paste of the powdered 

 seeds for outward application in nervous diseases (Moloney, p. 316 ; 

 Pharm. Journ. [31 xiv. 1883, p. 4 ; Bentley & Trimen, Med. PI. ii. 

 No. 77). 



In India the seeds are employed by Jewellers, Druggists, Gold- 

 smiths, &c, as a standard weight under the name of " Rati." They 

 are often used for ornamental purposes. 



The plant has been recommended as a weather gauge, and experi- 

 ments have been conducted by Nowack to prove its value for this 

 purpose, but the idea seems to have been exploded (see Kew Bull. 

 1890, pp. 1-28). 



May be propagated by seed, and is very easily grown. 



Ref. — " Abrus precatorius" in Medicinal Plants, Bentley & 



Trimen, ii. No. 77. Nouvelles recherches sur le vrai et le faux 



Jequerity, Heckel, in Journ. "Le Progres de Geneve," 1887. 



" Abrus precatorius " in Diet. Econ. Prod. India, Watt, i. 1889, 



pp. 10-14. " The Weather Plant," in Kew Bull. 1890, pp. 1-28. 



" Abrus precatorius" in Nuttige Indische Planten, Dr. Greshoff, 



pp. 225-231 (De Bussy, Amsterdam, 1894). " Jequiritol," in 



Merck's Ann. Rep. 1909, pp. 47-53. 



Clitorta, Linn. 



Clitoria Ternatea, Linn. ; Fl. Trop. Afr. II. p. 177. 



III. — Commelin, Hort. Med. Amstel. PI. i. t. 24 (Phaseolus indicus) ; 

 Rheede, Hort. Mai. viii. t. 38 ; Rumpf. Amb. v. t. 31 ; Gaertner, 

 Fruct. Sem. Pi. t. 149 ; Lam. Encycl. t. 609 ; Bot. Mag.t. 1512 ; Geel, 

 Sert. Bot. v. ; Rchb. Exot. iv. t. 226 ; Paxton, Mag. vii. p. 147 ; xiii. 

 p. 79 (var. major) ; Hortic. Univ. iv. p. 361 ; Ralph, Ic. Carp. t. 36, 

 f. 5 ; Burnett, PL Util. iv. t. 97a ; Martius, Fl. Bras. xv. pt. 1, t. 31, 

 f. 1; The Garden, xxxviii. 1890, p. 132; Journ. Hort. ser. 3, xxxi. 

 1895, p. 139. 



Vernac. names. — Cajlee (Bombay, Chantre, Dymock) ; Kajalee 

 (India, Dymock) ; [Bukike (Guam.); Calocanting (Philippines) ; 

 Bejuco de Conchitas (Porto Rico), Safford~]. — Blue Pea. 



Abeokuta ; Maifoni (Bornu) ; throughout Tropical Africa and the 

 Tropics generally. Often cultivated. 



The root is purgative and used to promote sickness and vomiting. 

 It is also a powerful cathartic (Safford, PL Guam. p. 232). The 

 powdered ripe seeds are aperient and purgative (Waring, Pharmacop. 

 India, p. 80). 



The flowers yield a blue dye, stated by Rumphius to be used for 

 colouring boiled rice in Amboyna (Moloney, For. W. Afr. p. 317, 

 and Dymock, Veg. Mat. Med. W. India, p. 190). 



The seeds exhausted with spirit yield a light brown resin with 

 an odour like jalap (Dymock, Pharm. Journ. [3] vii. p. 190). 



The plant propagates readily from seed, and is easily cultivated. 

 It grows and flowers freely in the Botanic Gardens, Old Calabar. 

 Found growing in the grass, in low moist places, Angola (Monteiro, 



