12 



THE AMERICAN BOTANIST, 



furnislied by a common tropical climbing legnmmons 

 plant {Abrus precatorius) . The seeds are abundantly 

 produced in small pods^ and are themselves quite small^ of 

 a bright ^arlet colour, with a black spot. They are Tery 

 uniform in size and weighty the average weight being 1.75 

 grains. Wherever the plant is grown these very orna- 

 mental seeds are used for necklaces,, ear ornaments^ and 

 personal adommens of all kinds^ as well as for rosaries^ 

 and for decorating boxes, baskets^ etc, Dr, Watt says the 

 plant with its open withered fruits exposing the scarlet 

 seeds is twisted round leafy boughs to simulate the holly 

 at Christmas time at English stations in India, It may 

 be worth while saying that the seeds in the fresh state 

 contains a poisonous property which is dissipated by 

 boiling. 



A seed almost identical in appearance, namely a bright 

 scarlet with a black blotch but much larger in size is that 

 knowm as the Jumbi and produced by an allied legumin- 

 ous plant, Ormisa dasycarpa. These seeds might well be 

 used as a substitute for coral especially for necklaces and 

 for mounting in brooches, as might also those of the coral 

 tree (Erythrina) which are of coral red without the black 

 spot. A still brighter seed also without the black mark is 

 that furnished in India by Adenanthera pavonlana, a 

 large leguminous tree of Bengal, South India, and Burma, 

 It is generally known as the Andaman redwood tree but 

 sometimes as red sandal wood, in consequence of its use 

 as a dye in substitution for the true red sandal wood or 

 red Sanders wood. The seeds are nearly half an inch in 

 diameter somewhat lens shaped, that is convex on both 

 sides and of the brightest shining red. In India they are 

 often strung and made into necklaces, bracelets and other 

 articles of personal adornment. They are also used as 

 weights in consequence of their uniformly weighing four 

 grains. Their bright colour, hardness and uniform size 

 caused them to attract the attention, a year or two ago, 

 of a London West-end jeweller, who contemplated using 

 them for brooches, pins, rings, etc. 



