198 



POPULAE ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



leaf between each. This substance is called Kassu, and is 

 known to be manufactured from the seeds of the Areca 

 Catechuy or Betel nut^ one of the palms. 



Another vegetable extract^ now very frequently imported 

 under the name of Catechu from FegUj is prepared from the 

 B^dea frondosa, a leguminons tree, with handsome pea- 

 shaped flowers, very common in India; every part of the 

 tree abounds in the astringent principle. 



There are other extracts imported occasionally, for tanners^ 

 use, which also receive the common designation of Catechu, 

 but the sources from whence they are derived is unknown. 

 One variety is the Brown Catechu m conical masses, from 

 Siam. The quantity of Cutch and Gambler imported into 

 Great Britain was last year about 1350 tons. 



Myrobalans. Terminalia Chehda, (INTat. Ord. Comhre- 

 tacecE,) (Plate XIII. fig. 68.) 



The seeds called commercially Myraholams are the dried 

 fruit of a small tree, very common in many districts of 

 India and other parts of Asia; it is probable they are derived 

 from more than one species of Terminalia, It is much 

 valued both as a dye-stuff and also as a tanning material. 

 The Myrobalans are about an inch in length, about the size 

 and shape of a Spanish olive, with an olive-yellow-coloured 



