N. 0. LEGUMINOSjE. 
467 
slender ; raceme stalked axillary, 6-8in. Bracts setaceous, 
falling very early. Calyx glabrous, segments separating from 
flat base. Stamens a little exserted. Filaments very woolly for 
more than basal half. Petals orbicular, yellow, the upper 
streaked with red (Brandis). Trimen from Ceylon simply 
says flowers yellow. Brandis is more accurate. I have seen the 
plant on Malabar Hill, Bombay, and in Ratnagiri District, on 
Rajapur Hills. Developes a big starchy tuber or tubers several 
feet underground from the roots. 
Pod oblong, glabrous, l^-2in. long, 2-4-seeded, turgid, 
toi'ulose. 
Parts used The roots. 
Use : — The root is used in Native practice, and has marked 
-astringent properties. It might be used as such (S. Arjun). 
It is given internally, in 6 masa doses mixed with milk, ghee, 
cumin and sugar, in phthisis and scrofulous affections; when 
sores exist if is applied externally as well ; a kind of tuberous 
swelling which is found on the root is preferred (Dymock). 
In some parts of Burma, the root, pounded and mixed 
with water, is drunk as a febrifuge by some people, and is said 
also to have an intoxicating effect. 
Previous investigations have shown that the pod-cases of 
Caesalpinia digyna are useful as a tanning material ; of six 
samples, one contained 45'45 per cent, of tannin (referred to the 
dry substance), whilst in the other five the tannin content ranged 
from 53'82 to 59'89 per cent. The plant occurs plentifully 
in a wild state in Burma and in Bengal and Assam, and its 
cultivation in India has been recommended. An experiment 
consignment of the whole pods was sold recently in London 
at £14 per ton. As practically the whole of the tannin is 
contained in the pod-cases, a very large quantity of the seeds 
would be available if the pods were used commercially as a source 
of tannin. The results of analyses indicated that if finely ground 
and mixed with a cheap ground pulse, the seeds might be used 
for cattle-feeding in India, but they could not be exported 
profitably. J. Ch. I., Aug. 15, 1912, p. 735. 
“ The powdered seeds yield to ether 25 S per cent, of a thick light colored 
oil worthy of further investigation." Agricultural Ledger, 1911-12 No. 5, p. 138. 
