76 BOTANICAL TOUR IN THE LAKHIMPUR DISTRICT. ASSAM. 
original article was communicated to the Royal Geographical Society 
by Mr. Errol Gay, a Tea Planter, who attempted, unsuccessfully, fo 
journey from Assam to Western China. The following are nis 
statements relating to opium culture. “ Every Khamti village has d 
large extent of poppy cultivation, generally in its immediate 
vicinity, and there are very few Khumits abstainers from the drug. 
About the middle of February, the capsules, of which there are 
three or four to a plant, begin to ripen ; a small incision is now 
made with a sharp knife in each and the sap oozing out is wiped off 
on a piece of clean cloth. 1 he following day the plant is given a 
rest and on the third day another incision is made and the sap wiped 
off as before. The process is repeated every other day until the 
capsule is exhausted. The cloth is carefully set aside in long strips 
about 3 inches wide until required when a small piece is cut off 
and steeped in tepid water which extracts all the drug and has an 
intoxicating effect.** 
From this it would appear that the opium is never smoked. 
Cruciferae. 
Nasturtium palustre^ DC., and N. indtcum, DC., are common 
weeds in moist places. Brassica juncea^ Hk. f, and T., is cultivated 
for the sake of the oil expressed from the seeds, universallv used 
in native cookery The leaves are eaten as pot-herbs. Raphanus 
sativa^ Z.., the radish, is grown in small enclosed plots by the 
villages. 
Cappatideae. 
Cleome viscosa^ L, Capparis olacifnlmy Hk. f. and T., and C, 
vimineay Hk f. and T., are subscandent shrubs. 
Violaceae, 
Viola Patriniiy DC., grows in the grass at Sadiya, our first 
instance of a mountain plant extending to the plains of this district. 
Bixineas, 
Gyuocardia odorata^ R. Br. — Common tree in the Makum forest. 
The oil of the seeds is used for curing skin diseases. The ripe 
fruit, when breaking up, exhales a powerfully fragrant odour. 
Caryo phyi i eae. 
Three common weeds, Stellaria media^ Z., Polycarpon Loaf- 
lingicB^ Bth. and Hk. f., and Drymaria coraatUy Willd. The 
adhesive capsules of the last named adhere firmly in large numbers 
to cloth and render the plant a well-known pest. 
