THE BEAN AND MIMOSA FAMILY. 423 



Gum Arabic (Acacia vera, A. Arahica). Natives of 

 northern and eastern parts of Africa, Arabia, and the East 

 Indies, They are generally small spiny trees or shrubs, grow- 

 ing in deserts. The gum, of which there are different quali- 

 ties, exudes from the stem and branches. Gum Senegal is 

 produced by an allied species. 



Acacia giraffe, A. sequale, or A. nilotica, are small thorny 

 trees, similar in habit to the preceding, natives of the deserts 

 of South-Eastern Africa and Arabia. It is supposed that the 

 latter was the " Shittim wood " of which the Ark of the 

 Covenant and the Tabernacle of the Israelites were made. 



Cutch {Acacia Catechu). A tree, native of India, described 

 as varying considerably in size, being found, it is said, in the 

 Pegu forests from 50 to 60 feet high, and 6 to 8 feet in girth. 

 The wood is cut into pieces and boiled in water, which be- 

 comes impregnated with the resin ; the water is then strained 

 and evaporated, and the resin dried and made into cakes, in 

 which state it is imported, being used principally for tan- 

 ning and dyeing. It is also a powerful astringent medicine. 



Wattles. A name given by the first settlers of Australia 

 to many species of Acacia, with which that country, as well 

 as Tasmania, abounds. They vary in size from scrub, heath, 

 or furze-like, to lofty trees with broad phyllodese,* or finely 

 divided compound leaves, all bearing yellow flowers, and pre- 

 senting a gay appearance, from which circumstance they are 

 favourites in greenhouses. Many of them yield gum in 

 great abundance, which is an extensive article of import to 

 this country ; but it is likely to cease, on account of the trees 

 being cut down for bark, which contains tannin. To such 

 an extent is the trade in bark carried, that the trees have 

 nearly disappeared in the South Australian colonies ; the 

 species being chiefly A. Jlonhunda, A. decurrens, and 

 A. dealbata. Their timber is also highly valued, especially 

 that of A. melanoxylon, which, as its name implies, is of a 

 dark colour, and takes a fine polish, like other black woods 

 of Victoria. 



* See p. 32. 



