Oct.  I,  1896.]  THE  TROPICAL 
UOVEllNMENT  BOTANIC  CARDENS, 
NILCIKIS. 
Erom  the  annual  Adininistnition  Report  of  the 
Government  Botanical  Cardens  and  Parks,  Nil- 
^iris,  for  the  year  ending  31st  March  189(3,  by 
Mr.  David  Hooper,  Covernment  (,,!uinologist,  M’e 
make  the  following  extract.s  : — 
Notes  on  Plants  of  Economic  Inthiiest — (1) 
Ipecacuanha. — The  cultivation  of  Ipecacuanha  does  not 
succeed  so  well  at  Nilambur  as  was  at  first  antici- 
pated. Out  of  249  plants  put  out  in  1887,  only  149 
were  alive  last  .Tune;  but  they  were  flowering  fairly 
well  and  were  in  a healthy  condition.  It  seems  that 
they  require  a moister  climate  than  Nilambur,  for  they 
die' down  annually  during  the  dry  months  between 
January  and  May,  and  sprout  up  afresh  at  the  first 
burst  of  the  monsoon.  Mr.  Malcolm  in  the  Vellara 
Mulla  Hills  has  discovered  that  a light  shade  under 
tig  trees  and  a,  moist  situation  are  more  suitable  for 
the  plant  than  thick  forest  shade.  Some  young  plants 
have  been  sent  to  applicants  in  tlie  untried  districts  of 
Peermaad,  Travancore  and  Coorg,  and  reports  upon 
their  progress  have  been  promised. 
A few  flowering  specimens  of  Ipecacuanha  are 
being  sent  from  India  to  London  to  have  their 
botanical  features  investigated.  A dozen  plants  were 
sent  to  Kew  about  a year  ago,  and  reached  their 
destination  in  good  condition. 
(2)  .falap. — Five  hundred  pounds  of  jalaj)  tubers 
from  a stock  of  lb.  1,200  tvere  supplied  last  .Jcuuaiy 
to  the  Medical  Storekeeper,  Bombay,  and  the  balance 
of  lb.  700  will  be  divided  between  the  Medical 
Stores  of  Bombay  and  Madras,  as  application  has 
again  been  made  for  the  drug  this  year.  A large 
order  for  jalap  from  Calcutta  could  not  be  comp)lied 
with,  as  the  xu’esent  crop)  is  not  mature  enough  for 
lifting.  For  some  years  piast  the  wdiole  of  thejalapi 
has  been  grown  in  the  Cinchona  Plantations  at 
Dodabetta,  and  it  is  intended  this  month  to  plant 
it  out  also  on  the  terraces  above  the  glass  houses 
in  the  gardens. 
The  private  planters  on  the  Nilgiris  are  still  hold- 
ing back  from  cultivating  this  useful  drug,  and  are 
not  able  to  place  any  of  it  on  the  market. 
(3)  Ilandclion  {Taraxacum  Otiicinale). — The  crop  of 
Dandelion  near  Orewe  Hall  has  not  been  taken  up) 
yet,  as  the  roots  have  not  grown  much  during  the 
dry  weather,  and  are  still  very  thin.  After  another 
wet  season  it  is  hoped  that  the  plants  will  be  suffi- 
ciently robust  to  yield  a large  quantity  of  matured 
roots. 
(4)  Sweet  Jhaj  (Acorus  Calamus). — The  sample  of  oil 
distilled  from  the  fresh  plant  and  sent  to  Surgeon- 
Major  Parker  of  the  Medical  Stores,  Bombay,  for 
experiment,  was  tried  by  him,  but  he  reports  that 
the  results  of  its  clinical  administration  were  not 
satisfactory.  The  fresh  root  is  no  doubt  the  best  part 
of  the  plant  for  medical  pui-poses. 
(5)  l)i(jitaiis. — In  February  last  the  Medical  Stores 
Department,  Bombay,  asked  to  be  supp)lied  with  lb. 
30  of  these  leaves,  which  were  sent  there  and  charged 
for  at  the  rate  of  As.  4 a pound. 
(fi)  yil'iiri  Nettle  (Cin'rclinia  palmata). — The  Re- 
porter on  Economic  Products,  on  behalf  of  the  Im- 
perial Institute,  has  been  making  enquiries  regarding 
a fibre  suitable  for  the  manufacture  of  hat.s.  A 
specimen  of  the  Nilgiri  Nettle  fibre,  j)repared  by 
Mr.  Mclvor  in  1867,  was  forwarded  through  the  Board 
of  Revenue,  and  enquiry  was  made  as  to  the  cost 
at  which  a similar  material  could  be  supplied.  A 
small  quantity  of  the  fibre,  about  half  a pound,  was 
prepared  from  some  of  the  nettles  in  the  Government 
gardens  at  the  cost  of  R3.  The  Nilgiri  Nettle  is  not  so 
plentiful  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Ootacamund  as  it 
used  to  be,  and  the  Todas,  around  whose  munds  it 
is  generally  found,  do  not  appear  to  utilise  the  fibre. 
(7)  JAtsaca  Xcijlauica. — The  Litsaeas  grow  in  piro- 
fusiou  on  these  hills,  and  the  trees  are  related  to 
the  cinnamon.  The  Reporter  on  Economic  Fro- 
ducts,  through  the  Board  of  Rovenue,  applied  for 
some  of  the  essential  oil  of  the  leaves  for  the  Im- 
perial Institute.  Tlie  oil  exists  in  the  loaves  in  a 
minute  proxiortion  which  made  the  process  of  distilla- 
tion very  tedious.  The  oil  possesses  the  jicculiar 
30 
AGRICULTURIST.  237 
fragrance  of  the  tree,  but  it  has  the  remarkable  pro- 
perty of  resinifying  or  drying  up  like  a varnish  when 
exxiosed  for  a short  time  to  the  air. 
(8)  Indian  Jladder  {fluhia  cordifoiia). — In  Decem- 
ber 1894,  some  roots  of  this  plant  collected  at  Naduvat- 
tam  were  sent  to  the  Rexiorter  on  Economic  Products 
at  Calcutta,  and  in  March  last  another  consignment 
followed  of  the  roots  taken  when  the  x^lants  were  in 
their  fruiting  stage.  The  authorities  at  the  Imperial 
Institute  wish  to  determine  the  difference  between  the 
varieties  of  this  plant  established  in  the  Khasa  Hills, 
Sikkim  and  the  Nilgiris.  The  botanical  characters 
are  veiy  slight,  but  it  is  considered  that  the  quality  and 
quantity  of  the  colouring  matter  of  the  root  vary 
according  to  local  or  climatic  conditions.  The  liuhia 
cordifoiia  on  these  hills  is  a straggling  shrub  with 
long  wiry  stems  penetrating  the  jungle  for  a great 
distance,  which  makes  it  a difficult  matter  to  dig 
out  the  root. 
(9)  Camphor  tree  {Cinnamomum  Camphora). — A cer- 
tain amount  of  interest  was  shown  last  year  in  the 
intrcduced  camphor  trees  of  Ceylon,  and  a discussion 
was  raised  as  to  the  value  of  the  leaves  and  twigs 
in  affording  camphor  compared  with  the  stem  and 
root.  As  the  question  could  only  be  settled  by  actual 
experiment,  the  leaves  from  trees  grown  on  this 
plateau  were  examined  and  the  results  published  in 
a paper  entitled  Camphor  Leaf  Oil.  The  leaves 
from  trees  growing  in  the  Government  gardens 
yielded  an  oil  containing  about  15  per  cent 
of  camphor,  and  some  oil  distilled  from 
the  leaves  of  trees  growing  at  Naduvattam,  at 
an  altitude  of  6,000  feet,  contained  50  x^er  cent,  of 
camphor. 
(l()j  H'iUl  coffee  (Diplospora  nplucrocaipa). — This 
jilaiit  has-  again  beeii  sent  by  two  x’lanters  on  the 
Nilgiris  for  identification.  It  belongs  to  the  same 
natural  order  as  the  true  coffee,  and  bears  a round 
fruit  containing  flattened  seeds  which  at  once  dis« 
tiiiguished  it  from  its  allies.  Colonel  Xenney-Herbei't, 
ill  1890,  made  an  infusion  of  the  roasted  seeds  pre- 
Xiared  from  this  plant  in  the  Quinologist’s  labora- 
tory, and  he  pronounced  it  to  be  very  xialatable 
and  similar  to,  but  slightly  W'caker  than,  that  made 
from  ordinary  coffee. 
(D)  Seriuoia  semperrirens. — A young  tree  of  this 
species  was  xAaoted  last  .July  bj'  His  Excellency  Lord 
Wcnlock  above  the  Tennis  courts  near  Government 
House  and  is  now  in  a thriving  condition.  This  is  a 
Californian  plant  which  yields  the  redwood  of  the 
timber  trade,  and,  in  its  native  climate,  attains  vast 
dimensions.  The  tree  has  been  raised  from  seed 
in  the  Government  gardens  with  some  other  ooiurers 
from  North  America,  but  the  one  planted  by  Lord 
Wenlock  was  presented  by  Mr.  A.  Lascelles. 
(12)  Adhatoda  Vasica. — In  1888  a chemical  exami- 
nation of  this  plant  was  made  by  the  writer  and  the 
active  principle  was  found  to  be  an  alkaloid  named 
“vasicine."  Experiments  were  made  with  the  plant 
and  its  alkaloid,  and  it  was  proved  that  the  loiver 
forms  of  animal  and  vegetable  life  were  killed  when 
brought  into  contact  with  the  solutions.  At  the 
suggestion  of  Dr.  Lauder  Brunton,  i.r.s.,  the 
dried  loivo:;  of  tlic  wove  sent  last  year 
to  1 iofci'sor  Giacosa  of  'J'lirin  for  investigation;  ho 
fouiul  them  to  be  )ich  in  nitrate  of  potash 
but  failed  to  find  an  alkaloid.  As  these  results  were 
conflicting,  fresh  samples  of  adhatoda  leaves  were 
obtained  from  Madras,  Calcutta  and  Punjab,  and  the 
enquiry  was  renewed  in  the  laboratory.  The  existence 
of  an  alkaloid  in  all  specimens  was  proved,  and 
a sample  of  acetate  of  vasicine  in  a crystalline  con- 
dition and  soluble  in  water,  was  sent  for  exhibition 
to  the  Indian  Museum  in  Calcutta. 
(l.S)  Eucal;iptv,s  species. — A number  of  specimens  of 
eucalyptus  leaves  were  sent  jfor  identification,  but 
it  was  impossible  to  determine  the  species  from  the 
leaves  only.  Flowering  and  fruiting  specimens  should 
always  bo  sent  if  plants  arc  to  he  satisfactorily  namedi 
A few  enquiries  wore  made  with  regard  to  the  boiler 
fluid  manufactured  from  blue  gum  leaves;  but  the 
correspondents  were  referred  to  eucalyptus  oil  dis- 
tillers in  the  neighbourhood. 
(14)  Datura  Straiiwniuni. — .\  qmuitity  of  the  roots 
of  this  poiso))ous  plant  collected  on  the  hills  was 
sent  to  Bombay  for  the  p^n'D^^c  of  testing  the  activity 
