Flora Medica

CLUSIACEJE OR GUTTIFER^E.Bhoodist religion, in which the sacred colour is the yellow produced bythe Gamboge tree.The idea that this valuable substance was produced by StalagmitisCambogioides, Garcinia Cambogia, and Xanthochymus pictorius, hasbeen refuted by Drs. Graham and Christison, the latter of whomfound the gambogioid exudations from the two last trees to be differentfrom the real drug in texture, effects, colour, and chemical constitution.See Companion to the Botanical Magazine, vol. ii. pp. 193. and 233.226. H. pictorium ? Graham 1. c. p. 199. col. 1. Garciniapictoria Roxb.fi. ind. ii. 627. Highest parts of Wynaad inIndia.Tree tall, say 60 feet high, of a conical shape, and very full ofbranches. Bark pretty thick, scabrous and ramous on the outside, ofa dark ferruginous colour, intermixed with many yellow specks, andthrough its substance, particularly on the inside, considerable masses ofgamboge are found. Young shoots somewhat angular, smooth, polished,of a deep green. Leaves opposite, short-petioled, oblong-ventricose,rather acute, entire, smooth on both sides, and of a firm texture, from 3to 4 inches long by 1| or 2 broad. Hermaphrodite flowers axillary,over the axils of the former year, solitary, sessile, of a middling size,and yellow colour. Bracts some very short, obscure scales, round theinsertion of the flowers. Calyx of two unequal pairs of concave,obtuse leaflets, permanent. Petals 4, oval, longer than the calyx.Filaments united into 4 bodies, which are again united at the base intoa narrow ring, round the bottom of the young ovary ;above each body isdivided into from 2 to 6 single, unequal, short filaments. Anthers from10 to 15, oblong, 2-lobed, and seemingly fertile. Ovary superior, round,4-celled, with 1 ovule in each attached to the axis, a little above itsmiddle. Style 0. Stigma 4-lobed, permanent. Berry size of a largecherry, oval, smooth, very slightly marked with 4 lobes, crowned withthe sessile, 4-lobed, verrucose, permanent stigma. Rind leathery,pretty thick, and rather spongy, 1 -celled. Seeds 4 when all ripen,oblong-reniform. Male flowers :calyx and corolla as in the female.Filaments numerous, inserted on the crown of a square fleshy receptacle,in the centre of the flower, clavate, angular. Anthers peltate. Roxb.Roxburgh says he received frequent samples of the Gamboge of this treefrom a correspondent at Tellicherry, and uniformly found it even in itscrude unrefined state, superior in colour, while recent, to any other kindhe had tried, but not so permanent as that from China. Dr. Christisonwas unable to procure this for examination.STALAGMITIS.Flowers polygamous or bisexual. Sepals 4-5, persistent,without bracteoles. Petals. 5, alternate with the sepals. Stamens(inboth male and female flowers) 4-5-adelphous; bundlesflat, elongated and divided at the apex into several short antheriferousportions, opposite to the petals, alternating with 5 largetruncated glands: anthers 2-celled, bursting longitudinally. Ovarium(onlyin the bisexual flowers) 3-5-celled, with 1 ovule ineach cell. Style scarcely any. Stigma 3-5 lobed. Fruit baccate,3-5-celled. Seeds 1 inTrees. W. and A.each cell, or fewer by abortion.114