86 
NAT. ORDER. MENISPERMACE^. 
number were distributed among the various districts of Mauritius 
and Bourbon. Many of these plants blossomed at Mauritius, in 
the course of a year, but the flowers all proved male. The roots, 
however, had during that time multiplied to twenty or thirty times 
the original quantity ; and thus an opportunity was given for dis- 
tributing them still more extensively. The female plants flowered 
at Seychelles, and Mr. G. Harrison, the government agent there, 
transmitted some of these roots to Mr. Telfair, in whose garden 
of Bois Cheri, in the Mauritius, they have flowered ; and being 
fecundated by Prof Boyer, who touched them with the ^^ollen of 
the male blossom, they bore seeds. From these individuals, the 
drawings by Prof Boyer have been taken, which give a delineation 
and dissection of every part. 
' Sensible and Chemical Properties. Calumha root is bitter, and 
slightly aromatic ; it breaks with a starchy fracture, and is easily 
pulverized ; externally of a brown, wrinkled appearance ; inter- 
nally yellow. The woody part of the root should be of a light 
yellow color, somewhat solid and heavy. Its smell is weak, with 
a slight aromatic odor. Boiling water takes up about one-third 
of its weight; the infusion has the sensible qualities of the root; 
it is not altered by sulphate of ii'on, nitrate of silver, corrosive 
sublimate, nor by emetic tartar ; but it is copiously precipitated 
by acetate of lead, tincture of nutgalls, lime-water, and yellow 
cinchona bark. It gives out its properties also to alcohol, and 
proof spirit ; but the latter is the best menstruum. It affords an 
essential oil by repeated distillation with water ; the remaining 
decoction yields malate and sulphate of lime. M. Blanche ob- 
tained from this root one-third its weight of starch ; a yellow, bit- 
ter resin ; a small quantity of volatile oil ; salts of lime and potass ; 
oxide of iron ; silex ; and a large proportion of a substance which 
resembled animal matter. We are told that a spurious calumha 
root is met with in some parts of France, which is imported from 
the states of Barbary. It is known by its not containing starch ; 
