20 
GUMS. 
value of gum arabics is from £1 to £5 per cwt. Ceylon 
imports the gum for mucilages and for medicinal use. 
GUM TJRAGAGÀNTH is the product of various species 
of Astragalus found in Greece andW. Asia. It flows naturally 
or from artificial wounds. The best kind is Smyrna gum ; 
others are Syrian and Morea tragacanths. The typical 
form is leafy, with striated cross markings, but some kinds 
are thread-like or in pellets. The colour is whitish, the gum 
translucent. Tragacanth consists of bassorin mixed with a 
soluble gum. It is used in making colours and in printing, 
and by shoemakers for giving a gloss to leather ; also in 
medicine. 
A group of bassorin gums, known as Bassora, Kutira, or 
Hog Gums, mostly Indian, furnish inferior tragacanths to 
the market. They are mentioned below. 
B.—MINOR GUMS. 
Acacia arabica (Karuvel, T.; FI. Cey.,IL, 122°), the Babul of India, 
planted in dry zone, yields an arabin gum, used in calico printing in 
India, and as a food. A. Catechu , Willd., the Cutch of India, yields a 
similar gum. 
A. decurrens, Willd., the Australian Black Wattle, planted in the 
upper montane zone, yields an insoluble gum, used in Australia in 
place of isinglass for jellies, or mixed with glue for sizing leather in 
tanneries. 
A. Farnesiana , Willd., the Cassie Flower of India, native of America 
and Australia, naturalized in the low-country, yields an arabin gum. 
Adenanthera pavonina , L. (Madatiya, S. ; Anaikuntumani, T. ; FI. 
Cey., II., 120), common in low-country, often planted, is said to yield 
a gum. 
Ægle Marmelos , Corr. (Beli, S. ; Yilvam, T. ; the Bael Fruit ; FI. 
Cey., I., 229), cultivated in low-country, is said to give a fair arabin gum. 
Albizzia amara , Boiv. (Uyil, T. ; Fl. Cey., II., 130), in dry low-country, 
rare, is said to yield a good arabin gum. 
* References thus made are to Trimen’s Flora of Ceylon, 1893-1900. 
