Leguminosae. 117 
Himalaya to Ceylon, Malacca, North Australia, Polynesia and the 
Seychelles. 
It is not very common in Honolulu but deserves to be cultivated 
on account of its drooping branches and rather handsome flowers. 
So far only a few mature trees can be found, the best ones in the 
garden of Dr. Wm. Hillebrand, who introduced it into Hawaii 
about hft_\" years or more ago. 
It yields a thick, black opaque gum, but hardly of sufficient quan- 
tity to be useful. From the seeds an oil is extracted in India which 
is used for illuminating and for medicinal purposes; it is of a light 
orange-brown color and bitter to the taste. 
The bitter principle of the oil is not due to an alkaloid but is 
apparently contained in a resin. The oil, which is known as Kur- 
runje Oil, is described as a useful remedy in skin diseases and rheu- 
matism, and is a remedial agent in cases of scabies and other cutan- 
eous diseases. The wood is moderately hard and white, turning yellow 
on exposure. The leaves make a fine manure for wet cultivation and 
are effective in destroying blight. 
Piscidia erythrina L. 
Fish Poisox Tree. 
Plate XLIX. 
Piscidia erythrina is the only species in the genus and is a tree 
of medium size. The leaves are odd-pinnate and the oblong or ellip- 
tical leaflets are opposite. The whitish flowers which have a purplish 
tinge are small, six to eight lines long and arranged in short lateral 
racemes. The pod is two to four inches long, compressed, and bears 
along each margin two broad membraneous longitudinal wings. The 
pod contains six to eight seeds which are oblong, black and sub- 
compressed. 
In Honolulu the writer knows of several trees which adorn 
Thomas Square Park, and are objects of beauty when in flower. 
It is a native of the West Indies, Florida and Mexico. 
The bark of Piscidia is used as a narcotic in stupefying fish. 
Inocarpus edulis Forst. 
The Ivi or Tahitiax Chestxut. 
The Ivi bears a thick crown of oblong leathery leaves, and small 
white flowers emitting a delicious perfume. The fruits are kidney- 
shaped and contain a kernel resembling chestnuts in taste. 
