223 



insect (Gamble, Man. Ind. Timb. p. 244). Yields a gum of an 

 intense ruby colour and astringent taste ; used in India as a 

 substitute for true kino {Pterocarpus Marsupium), as a dye and 

 tan, and it is said to be used by the natives to purify and precipitate 

 blue indigo. The bark yields a fibre used in India for rough cordage 

 and for caulking boats (Watt, Comm. Prod. India, p. 189). The leaves 

 are used as plates, especially in S. India ; as a substitute for paper, 

 and as fodder for buffaloes ; the flowers yield a bright yellow dye 

 though not of much value ; the dye is not permanent, and its use 

 appears to be confined to India. The seeds pounded with lemon 

 juice are a powerful rubefacient (Watt, I.e. p. 190), and they are used 

 in medicine as a purgative and vermifuge (Gamble, Man. Ind. Timb. 

 p. 243). 



The wood is more durable under water than above ground ; used 

 in Upper India for well-curbs and piles, water scoops of native 

 wells (Gamble, I.e. p. 244), gunpowder charcoal and building 

 purposes (Beddome, Fl. Sylv. t. 176). 



Propagated by seeds. Thrives on black cotton-soil, also in salt 

 lands and in water-logged places. In India, Burma and Ceylon it 

 occurs on the plains, usually in open country, in grass lands and 

 gregarious (Gamble, I.e.), and it occurs in the hills up to about 

 4000 feet (Watt, I.e. p. 189). 



The brilliant orange flowers which appear before the leaves make 

 this plant a very attractive one for decorative purposes. 



Ref. — " Huile de Butea frondosa" in Ann. L'Inst. Col. Marseille, 



v. 1898, fasc. 2, pp. 94-99. " Butea frondosa {Erythrina mono- 



sperma, Lanik.)," De Cordemoy, in Ann. L'Inst. Col. Marseille, vi. 



1899, fasc. 2, pp. 76-82. " Butea frondosa : Dye," in Tech. Rep. & 



Sci. Papers: Imp. Inst, 1903, pp. 218-220. " Butea frondosa" 



in Manual Indian Timbers, Gamble, pp. 243-244. " Dhak or 



Butea," Burkill, in Agric. Ledger, No. 2, 1908, pp. 14-16. 



"Butea frondosa" in Comm. Prod. India, Watt, pp. 189-190. 



Physostigma, Balfour. 



Physostigma cylindrosperma, E. M. Holmes in Pharm. Journ. [3], 

 ix. 1879, p. 913. [Mucuna cylindrosperma, Welw. ex Baker in 

 Oliv. Fl. Trop. Afr. ii. p. 186]. 



III.— Pharm. Journ. I.e. (seed) ; Pharm. Journ. [4] xi. 1900, p. 461 

 (seed) ; Ibid. 1904, p. 699. 



Vernac. names. — Maxim ia muxito (Golungo Alto, Welwitsch). 



The seeds of this plant occur mixed with true Calabar bean (seq.) 

 in commerce, from which they differ by being nearly or quite 

 cylindrical, somewhat longer and redder in colour. 



This plant has not been recorded from Nigeria, but for the reason 

 above mentioned it is not unlikely that the two plants may be found 

 together in some parts, though the species under consideration does not 

 appear to have been found further north than Angola. 



Ref. — See under P. venenosum. 



Physostigma venenosum, Balfour ; Fl. Trop. Afr. II. p. 191. 



III.— Trans. Roy. Soc. Edin. xxii. pt. 2, 1860, tt. 16-17 : Bentl. & 

 Trimen, Med. PI. t. 80 ; Engl. & Prantl, Pflan. iii. pt, 3, f. 134 (after 

 Bentl. & Trimen) ; Kohler, Med. Pflan. iii. ; Pharm. Journ. as under 

 P. cylindrosperma. 



