M I M 
78. Mimofa proeeros, or large mimofa: the pedda pat- 
feroo of the Telingas. Trunk ftraight 5 head very large 
and denfe. Leaves alternate, twice feathered, twelve to 
eighteen inches long; feathers three to five pair, oppoiite, 
four to eight inches long; leaflets fix to twelve pair, ob¬ 
liquely oval, pointed, entire, fmooth, about an inch and 
a half long. Petiole common, round, fmooth, about 
twelve inches long. Glands : there is a large oval one 
near its bafe; the reft are uncertain. Panicles terminal 
and axillary ; thofe that terminate the branchlets are very 
large; all are compofed of ramifications of infinite num¬ 
bers of pedicelled globular heads of yellow fragrant co¬ 
roilets. Legume ftraight, pointed, fmooth, about fix or 
feven inches long, and one broad ; feeds eight to twelve. 
This is a very large tree, and by far the largeft fpecies of 
mimofa I know in India. It is a native of the moun¬ 
tainous parts of the coaft of Coromandel; but the wood 
is not much efteemed by the natives. This lpecies is re- 
prefented on Plate III. 
79. Mimofa amara, or bitter mimofa; the nelly-renga 
of the Telingas. Trunk irregular; bark pretty linooth, 
greenifh; young (hoots covered with foft yellow down. 
Leaves twice feathered, about fix inches long ; feathers 
oppofite, from fix to iixteen pair, from one to two inches 
long; leaflets from twelve to thirty pair, linear-oblong, 
minute, downy. Petiole common and parted, downy; 
ftipules lanced, acute; peduncles axillary, feveral, one or 
two inches long; each fupporting a (ingle globular head 
of fragrant yellow corolle'cs ; filaments numerous, united 
below. Legume as in Mimofa odoratiflhna, only a little 
fmaller, containing five to eight feeds, lodged in the 
middle. This is alfo a tree, and a native of the moun¬ 
tains on the coaft of Coromandel. The bark is bitter as 
well as aftringent. 
So. Mimofa Arabica, gum and gall tree; the nella (or 
black) tooma of the Telingas. Trunk in general crooked ; 
bark fcabrous, and cracked; outwardly of a dark ruft- 
colour. Branches numerous, (landing in every direftion, 
yet giving but a fcanty (hade, owing to the fmallnefs 
of the leaves. Thorns flipulary, fpreading, long, fharp, 
white. Leaves twice feathered, from two to three inches 
long; feathers from four to fix pair, oppofite, about an 
inch long ; leaflets from ten to twenty pair, linear-oblong, 
minute, fmooth. Glands uncertain, except between the 
lower pair of feathers, where there is always a large one. 
Peduncles axillary, feveral, jointed and brafted above the 
middle, about an inch long, each ending in a globular 
head of fragrant yellow coroilets; filaments numerous, 
diftinfil, inferted round the germ. Legume pendulous, 
from fix to ten inches long, comprefi'ed, pointed, neck¬ 
lace-form, but not articulated, covered with foft white 
down. Receptacle chaffy; chaff wedge-form. Seeds from 
ten to fifteen. 
■ Plate IV. is a reprefentation of this mod ufeful, and at 
the fame time moft common, fpecies'. It grows to a pretty 
large tree, and abundantly over every part of India. A 
low ft iff uncultivated foil is What fuits it bell. It is in 
flower moft part of the year. Befides yielding the greatefl 
quantity of gum-arabic, the wood is one of the moft ufe¬ 
ful in India; being of a light brownifh colour, ftrong, 
tough, and durabje; the belt knees and crooked timber 
in fhip-building are made of it. It is alio efteemed for 
wheel-carriages, and many other purpofes. The exterior 
bark is of a dark colour, cracked in various directions, 
and inert; but the interior is fibrous, pretty thick, of a 
reddifh colour, and a moft powerful Ample aftringent. It 
is employed to tan leather, and to dye various fliades of 
brown, with fait of Heel. A ftrong decoction makes pretty 
good ink. The unripe legumes poffefs (till more aftrin- 
gency, and make excellent ink with fait of fteel. Lime- 
water added to the infufion of the bark deepens the co¬ 
lour, and caufes a copious precipitation of brown feculae. 
Spirits acquire from it a deep, clear, brown, colour, which 
bears mixing with water, without decompofition ; but it 
poflefles lefs aftringency than the infufion in water. The 
Vox.. XV. No. 1053. 
O S A. 417 
flowers communicate to water a bright yellow, which 
alkalies deepen, and acids lower. The gum might be 
colleCled in large quantities at an eafy rate, and would 
find employment for poor people during the dry feafcn ; 
a period when there is little or no work for them. The 
natives mix it with the cake of the feeds of Sefamum left 
after the oil is exprefled, which they ufe as an article of 
diet. It is alfo much in ufe amongft the dyers, chintz- 
painters, See. Cattle are very fond of the green legumes, 
and tender tops of the branches. The natives fonfetimes 
fubftitute a decoftion of the bark for that of foap-nuts or 
of the pod of Mimofa faponaria, to wa!h their heads with. 
Dr. Roxburgh (hipped from India fpecimens of the le¬ 
gumes of this tree, of different ages, addrefied to the 
Society of Arts in London, propofing them as a cheap 
fubftitute for myrabolans, or Aleppo galls; but the flvio 
(Hope) was unfortunately taken by the French. See 
Tranf. of the Soc. of Arts, vol. xix. and xxiii. 
81. Mimofa leucophlasa, or white mimofa; the tella 
(or white) tooma of the Telingas. Thorns in pairs as in 
the lail, ruft-colour, and very fharp. Leaves twice fea¬ 
thered, from three to four inches long; feathers from 
eight to twelve pair, oppofite, about an inch long; leaf¬ 
lets from twenty to thirty pair, minute, linear-oblong. 
Panicles large, terminal, compofed of fub-erefl racemes 
of fliort, pedicelled, fmall, globular heads of pale-yellow 
fragrant coroilets. Legume linear, comprefled, generally 
curved in form of a fickle; obtufe, fmooth, from four to 
fix inches long, and half an inch broad. Seeds from 
twelve to twenty. This is a better-looking tree than the 
laft; it grows as large, or larger, with a llniighter trunk, 
and fub-ereft or lpreading branches: the bark is of a 
whitifli colour, and fmooth. It is a native of the dry 
mountainous parts of India ; flowering-time the wet fea- 
fon. The wood of this fpecies is lefs ufeful than the laft; 
but the bark is very aftringent, and the natives diftil an 
ardent fpirit from it. The procefs is as follows : the frefli 
bark is cut into fmall pieces, or bruited, and with a little 
coarfe fugar and toddy (palm-juice) put into veffels with 
water to ferment; when the fermentation is at a proper 
height, which pradlice alone can teach, the liquor is 
committed to the ftill, and a certain quantity of fpirit 
drawn oft’. 
82. Mimofa ofilandra, or eight-flamed mimofa; the wal- 
lagdoora, or poota-corinta, of the Telingas. Stems or 
branches many, climbing, interwoven one with another, 
woody, fome part fomewhat angular; and armed with 
innumerable fharp recurved prickles. Leaves alternate 
twice-feathered, four or five inches long; feathers three 
or four pair, an inch and a half long: leaflets fix to ten 
pair, oval, fmooth. Petiole common, armed on the under 
fide ; ltipules half-lanced; peduncles axillary and terminal, 
from one to fix, round and fmooth; each bears a globular 
head of orange-coloured coroilets. Calyx and corolla five¬ 
toothed. Stamens eight, diftimft. Legumes recurved, 
membranous, jointed ; margins prickly. A middle-fixed, 
climbing, brier-like, fpecies; grows in thickets; on the 
banks of aqueducts, and other mold piaces, on the coaft 
of Coromandel. It is reprelented on Plate V. 
VIII. From the Linncean Tranfafilions,-&c. 
83. Mimofa myrtifolia, or myrtle-leaved mimofa: leaves 
elliptic, lanceolate, oblique, quite entire, cartilaginous 
at the edge; heads in axillary-racemes; legumes linear 
with a thick edge. Height three or four feet. Branches 
alternate, upright, angular, with a very tough fmooth 
bark. Leaves of the young feedlings in pairs, and pin¬ 
nated, with oval leaflets; but, when the ftem riles, the 
common footftalks of its leaves become dilated, the leaf¬ 
lets ceafe to appear, and the whole fhrub is furnifhed only 
with Inch dilated naked footftalks as are to all intents and 
purpofes leaves: they are alternate, vertical, fmooth, firm, 
and glaucous. The flowers on the young branches are 
very numerous, and fragrant like thole of Spiraea ulnaria. 
Mr. Hoy railed it from feeds brought from New South 
5 O Wales, 
