Branclie.'^ numerous, stincl in every clIrectLon, yet it gives but a
scanty slincle ; owing w Jie smallness of the leaves.
'ihorus siipiilavy, si>i-ea(ling, long, slurp, wliite.
Leavc-'i iwicc-feaihcr'd, li om two to three inches long. Feathers from
four to six pair, opposite, about an inch iong. Lcapls from
ten Lo twenty pair, lincar-oblong, ininuEe, smooth.
€l<mds uncertain, except between the lower pair of feathers, where
there is always a large one,
Pedunclcs axillary, sevei'al, jointed and bractecl ;ibove the micklle,
about au inch long, each ending in a globular head of fragrant
yellow corollets.
rilawn,.ls niiinero.is, distinct, inserted round the germ.
Leswuc pendulous, from six to ten inches long, compress'd, pointed,
nccklace-forra, but not articulated, covered with soft while
down. Rcccpl'icle chaffy. wedge-form.
Sceda from ten to fii'tcen.
This is the most useful, and at the same time the most common
species; it grows to a pretty large tree, and abtnidantly over every
part of India. A low, stiff, uncnltivated soil is what suits it best,
1» in flower most part of the year.
Besides yielding the greatest quantity of gum arabic, the wood
is one nf the most useful in India ; being of a light brownish
colour, strong, tough, and durable; the best knees and crooked
timber in ship building, are made of it. It is also esteemed for
wheel carriages, and many other purpose.s.
The exterior bavk is of a dark, blackish colour, cracked in various
directions, and inert; but the interior is fibrous, pretty thick, of a
reddish colour, and a most powerful simple astringent. It is employed
to tan leather, and to d)'e various shades of brown, with salt
of steel. A strong decoction makes pretty good ink.
The unripe legumes possess still more astringency, and make
excellent ink with salt of steel.
Lime water added to an infusion of the bark deepens the colour,
and causes a copious precipitation of brown fccul«.
Spirits acqalre from it a deep, clear, brown colour, which bears
mixing with water, without decomposition, bin it possesses less
astrhigency than the infusion in water.
The flowers communicate to water a bright yellow, which alkalies
deepen, and acids lower.
The gum might be collected in large quantities at an easy rate,
and would find employment for poor people during the dry season;
a period, when there is little or no work for them. Tlie natives mix
it with the cake of the seeds of Sesamum (Gingcly) left after the oil
is expressed, which they use as an article of diet. It is also mucli
in use amongst the dyers, chintz painters, kc.
Cattle are very fond of the green leguines and tender tops of the
branches.
The natives sometimes substitute a decoction of the bark for that
of soap nuts, ov of the pods of Mimosa saponaria, to wasli their
heads with.
itIMOSA LEUCOFHLOEA.
Glands: or 1Í the lower and e
feathers.
Panicles large, terminal, composed of sub-erecl
cei'd. small, globular, heads, of pale yello
Pcdunclcs and Pcdicds downy,
Bradcs small, oval.
Filammls numerous, distinct.
Lcgnme linear, compress'd, generaUy curved
Telia
150. MIMOSA LEUCOPHLOEA.
3r white) Tooma of theTelingas.
)r two pair of
; of short pedifragrant
corollets.
ol
broad,
smooth, from foi
Seeds from t«'el
Lwenty,
inchcs long, and half a
A better looking tree than the last ; it grows fully as large, or
larger, with a straighier trunk, and sub-crect or spreading branches:
the bark is of a whitish colour and smooth. It is a native of dry
mountainous countries. Flowering time the wei season.
The wood of this species is less useful than that of the last ; but
the bark is very astringent, and the natives distil an ardent spirit
from it. The jirocess is as follows : the frcsli l>ark is cut into small
pieces, or bruised, and with a little coarse sugar, and toddy (palm
juice) put into vessels with water to ferment ; when the fermentation
is at a proper height, which practice alone can teach, the liquor
is committed to the still, and a certain quantity of spirit drawn ofF,
151. CURCUMA MONTANA.
RooU perennial, consisting of conical tubercles, enveloped in the
remaining sheaths of the leaves, with large fleshy fibres from
their base.
Lsaves radical, three or four, petioled: petioles from eight to twelve
inches long, enveloped in a few sheaths, forming something
like a stem ; leaves oval, pointed, beautifully veined, smooth,
from eight to twelve inches long, and from five to six broad.
Spike rises from the centra of [he petioles; the peduncle is of their
length, and involved in its proper sheaths.
Bracks numerous, below roundish, above oblong: the lower half
of the back of the inner two are united to the margins of the
next without, forming a sack, which contains from two to four
flowers, each with a smaller wedge-form membranous proper
bracte ; the superior bractes are large, waved, rose-colom-'d.
and generally without flowers.
Corel: tube widening, somewhat bell'd ; border double: exterior
three-parted: divisions equal, entire; interior two-lip'd:
upper lip erect, three-cleft; under lip entire, roundish; border
waved, a little notch'd,
Filavtenl no other than the middle segment of the upper lip of the
interior bolder of the corol. Anthers two, Hneai', the under
point of each ends in a long sharp spur.
Germ below. Style: its base embraced with two nectarlal bodies.
Stigma large, globular, two-lip'd.
It grows
the rainy si
it places amongst the mountains ; flowering tim
7koms in pairs as in the last; colour of a rusty iron, very sharp.
Leaves twice-featlier'd, from three to lour inches long. Feathers from
eight to twelve pair, opposite, about an inch long. LeaHels
from twenty to thirty pair, minute, linear-oblong.
Exjilanalio
A, Three of the large or excei
from the other two. and th
inner bractes.
of the Figures.
ir bractcs; the outer one is split
)wn down to shew the flowers and
B. The germ and calyx (a) laid open,
which embrace the base of the styli
152. JUSTICIA REPENS.
Linn. spec, plant, edit. Willdeiwvj, \ . p. 96, fnoii Fl. zeyl.J
Rod perennial.
Stems many, diffuse, round, jointed, smooth, sometimes rooting at
the joints; from one to two feet long.
i i i i m opposite, sliort-petloled, broad-lanced, intirc, shaip-pointcd.
smooth.
Spikes axiflary, peduncled, erect, somewhat compressed, oneranked.
Bractcs, exterior in four rows, oval, with a broad white membranous
margin; the two rows on the back of the spike are neuter,
the two on the fore-part euibrace the flowers; besides the
calyx of each flower is embraced lateially by two smaller
lanced bractes.
Floiuers alternate, pale rose-colour,
Is a native of pasture ground ; flowering time, the wet and cold
153. JUSTICIA PECTINATA.
Linn. spec, plant. 22.
^¿emjmany, diffuse, filiform, round, smooth, jointed.
Brandies alternate.
Leaves opposite, short-petioled, depending, lanced, intire, smooth;
the two opposite leaves are generally unequal in size.
Spikes axillary, or terminal, sessile, shorter by much than the leaves,
one-rank'd ; there are generally three together, and the
middle one largest.
Flowers very small, bright-blue.
Bractes to each flower five, of different sizes, oval, or lanced, with
beautiful white membranous margins.
Corol: Tipper lip intire, acute.
Anthers: the lower one of each filament has along obtuse horn from
the under end.
Capsule four-seeded, two in each cell,
This very beautiful, delicate, diffuse, herbaceous species, grows
in shady places; flowering tiiae, the cold season.
154. GRATIOLA VERONICIFOLIA.
Linn. spec, plant, edit. Willdenow, 1. lOS.
Slcms several, creeping.
Branches erect, four-sided, smooth, from six to eight inches long,
Leaves opposite, sessile, decussated, oblong, glandulous, smooth,
fleshy, finely, and most sharply saw'd; serratures end in a
minute bristle.
Raceme terminal.
Flowers opposite, decussated, violet-colour.
Is a native of moist places; flowering time the wet and cold
155. GRATIOLA OPPOSITIFOIJA.
Linn. spec, plant, edit. Willdenolv, I. p. 105.
Stems several, nearly erect, ramous, four-sided, smooth.
Leaves sessile, opposite to another leaf, or a flower, linear-lanced,
saw'd, smooth,
Peduncles leaf-opposed, or opposite to each other, short, hoi-izontal,
club'd.
Bractes solitary, embrace the insertion of the peduncle.
Flowers small, blue,
Anthers two pair, united. Sterile filaments small, white.
Capsule lanced, twice the length of the calyx,
A native of moist pasture ground; flowers during the wet season.
Is from three to six inches high.
156. ROTTBOELLIA COMPRESSA.
Linn, suppl. 1 H .
Shervoo (i. e. Lake) Panoocoo of the Telingas.
Cidms several, creeping, or climbing, ramous, comj>ress'd, from
five lo twenty feel long, piped, smooth, about as thick as a
common quill, and very hard.
Leaves numerous, two-faced, small for the size of the plant, smooth
and soft; sheaths short, compress'd and smooth.
Spikes peduncled, terminal, and from the exterior axills, generally
from two to Sve together, compress'd a little, smooth; from
two to four inches long.
Peduncles jointed at the middle, and there bracted ; lanced, chaffy;
bractes also surround their insertions.
Flowers all hermaphrodite, opposite decussated, lodged in the excavations
of the jointed rachis.
Calyx one-flower'd, two-valved; the glumes nearly equal, cartilaginous,
pointed, and somewhat longer than the excavations of
the rachis; those of the other two sides have them obtuse,
and the exterior one only cartilaginous.
Corol three-valved: all tlie valves are membranous.
J^edary : two triangular bodies embrace the base of the stamens and
germ.
Stamens three.
Slignuu feathery.
Is found on the borders of lakes, amongst other sorts of long grass
and bi'ush wood.
) shew the two bodies,
157. ROTTBOELLIA EXALTATA.
Linn, sujipl. 114.
Conda Panoocoo of the Telingas.
Root consists of strong woody fibres.
Culms erect, ramous, a little compress'd, inwardly of a spongy
nature, from six to ten feet high, and as thick as the litde
finger near the base, where they are armed with strong,
short, white hairs.