xvii 



of SIX to eight feet, branchy ; the leaves are ovate, poinU 

 ed, mooth, waving, distinctly veioeii trans¥€rBely uuder- 

 neatb, of a dirk green colour, and, when chewed, tbey 

 faave a biHer astringent taste, leaving, however, after* 

 irardE a sweetish taste in the mouth, not unlike iiquoricej 

 the flower? are aggregate, globular, coropoeed of numerous 

 florets, crowded on a gkbular, naked receptacle; tubes of 

 ihe corolla of a pinkish colour ; the upper part of the co- 

 rdla fine, cleft, and of a greeniih yellow colour; the sta- 

 mina are five in number, and short; the pistil is longer 

 than the corolla; the flowers are destitute of fragrance; 

 tlie capsules (as correctly atated by Mr, Huntek,) are 

 stalked oblong, incrnsled and crowned with a calyx ; ta- 

 pering to a point below ; two celled, two valved,tbe valve* 

 adhering at the apex, splitting at the sides; seeds very 

 numerous^ oblong, very small, compressed, fumi&hed al 

 both ends with a membranous pappus." 



From observations made at Singapore, I am induced to 

 consider the tree as dioecious, from observing numerous 

 trees, among which some were in full flower, of which the 

 corolla falls off, leaving the calyx, which withers without 

 any appearance of the ovarium becoming perfect ; others 

 were covered with iromatore and mature capsules ; but 

 the fertile appearance ofthesUgma in the specimens I 

 collected would cause me in some degree, to doubt the 

 fact of its being dioecious: I, however, mention the cir- 

 cumstance for future investigation. The shrubs also 1 

 observed at Singapore were not climbing. 



This shrub yields the Gambir, Terra Japonica, or Cate- 

 cbu* of commerce, and is an extract prepared from the 

 leaves; a catechn is al^o prepared in India from a species 

 of acacia (A catechu,) which is found growing plentifully 

 in Hindoostan, on the mountain ofKahnana; and there 

 are also two kinds said to be produced from the nut of 

 the Areka palm, named in India Cattacamboo and Cash- 

 cutti, and both are used by the f ndian practitioners, f 

 • £tM dfntfie* & tree, md Chu jnlce. In the Oriental Unfrogt. 



