NOTE  ON  NECTANDRA  PUCHURY,  ETC.  387 
two  varieties  of  these  lobes  ;  the  larger,  derived  from  Brazil,  are 
one  and  a  half  inches  in  length,  and  over  half  an  inch  in  breadth, 
tapering  at  the  extremities  so  as  to  present  an  elliptical  form ;  the 
smaller  are  derived  from  Venezuela,  and  are  scarcely  an  inch  in 
length  and  two-eighths  of  an  inch  in  breadth,  of  the  same  form 
but  a  little  more  tapering  at  the  apex.  It  was  at  one  time  sup- 
posed that  both  these  cotyledons  belonged  'to  the  same  species, 
and  that  the  disparity  in  size  depended  upon  difference  in  maturity; 
they,  however,  as  has  been  shown,  belong  to  different  varieties 
of  the  plant,  if  not  species. 
This  fruit  has  been  analyzed  by  M.  Bonastre,  and  found  to  con- 
tain in  500  parts,  15  of  concrete  volatile  oil,  50  of  greasy  buty- 
raceous  oil,  110  of  stearine,  15  of  resin,  40  of  brown  coloring 
matter,  55  of  fecula,  60  of  soluble  gum,  100  of  parenchyma, 
with  a  little  acid  and  uncrystallizable  sugar. — Journ.  de  Pharm. 
xi.  p.  1. 
Bark. — The  sample  in  my  possession  is  in  flat  pieces  of  various 
sizes,  from  broken  up  fragments  to  half  a  foot  in  length  and 
three  to  four  inches  in  breadth  ;  in  thickness,  three  or  four  lines. 
It  is  of  a  deep  brown  color,  fibrous  and  brittle,  possessed  of  the 
strong  aromatic  odor  of  the  oil  and  a  warm,  biting  taste.  Where 
the  epidermis  is  found  upon  the  pieces,  it  is  brown,  furrowed  or 
lichenoid. 
Oil. — This  answers  to  the  description  so  well  given  by  Mr. 
Procter  in  the  paper  referred  to.  My  specimen  is  of  a  lighter 
color,  which  may  be  attributed  to  age,  his  sample  having  become 
somewhat  resinified.  The  sp.  gr.  no  doubt  varies  from  the  same 
change.  I  have  stated  that  I  had  no  doubt  the  above  oil  is  the 
same  described  by  Pereira  as  the  "  Native  Oil  of  Laurel.'''  The 
latter  is  said  to  be  "  imported  from  Demerara,  obtained  by  inci- 
sion in  the  bark  of  a  large  tree,  called  by  the  Spaniards  Azcyte  de 
Sassafras,  growing  in  the  vast  forests  between  the  Oranoco  and 
the  Parina."  The  label  on  the  bottle  in  the  possession  of  Mr. 
Procter  recommends  the  "  Azcite  de  Sassafras."  The  description 
given  of  the  oil  by  Pereira  would  apply  to  the  article  under  con- 
sideration, and  coming  as  they  do  from  the  countries  which'afford 
the  plants  treated  of,  and  which  have  a  wide  spread  habitat,  we 
may  reasonably  conclude  they  are  identical.* 
*It  is  stated  by  the  latter  eminent  pharmacologist  that  the  oil  is  isomeric 
with  the  oil  of  turpentine. 
