Flora Medica

FABACE^., OR LEGUMINOS^.the other 2-3 longer, monadelphous, bearing anthers. Stylesubulate. Legume stalked, linear, more or less curved, slightlycompressed, 1 -celled, 3-12-seeded, the endocarp pulpy. Seedscompressed, bluntly 4-angled, obliquely truncated at the hilum.Trees. Leaves abruptly pinnated; leafletsmany pair. Flowersracemose. W. and A,552. T. indica Linn, sp.pl 48. Roxb.fl. ind. iii. 215. DC.ii.prodr. 488. W. and A. i. 285. Woodv. t. 166. 8. and C.11. t. 88. T. occidental Gtertn. t. 146. DC. 1. c. 489.(Rheede i. t. 23. Humph, ii. t. 23.) East Indies, and WestIndies. (Tamarind Tree.)Leaves pinnate. Leaflets from 10 to 15 pair, opposite, sub-sessile,tapering a little, entire, obtuse, smooth on both sides, the inferior pairlarger; petioles channelled, from 4 to 6 inches long; stipules small,deciduous. Racemes terminal and lateral. Bractes obovate, coloured,1-flowered, deciduous. Calyx 4-leaved, cruciate, expanding, deciduous.Corolla somewhat papilionaceous, erect, unilateral, the length of thecalyx. Vexillum, or middle petal oblong, its margins involute andcurled ; wings oval, margins curled ; all 3 are beautifully variegated withred and yellow ;keel 2 short subulate processes under the stamens ;filaments 3, combined, inserted under the ovary, ascending. Anthersincumbent. There are the rudiments of 4 more filaments in the fissuresand outsides of the 3 fertile ones. Ovary stalked, linear, with the stylemuch incurved. Legume pendulous, nearly linear, generally curved,somewhat compressed, filled with firm, acid pulp, covered with a hardscabrous bark, which never separates into valves; under the barkrun 3 fibres, 1 down the upper concave margin, and the other 2at equal distances from the inferior, or convex edge. Seeds from 6 to12, somewhat trapeziform, compressed, covered with a smooth, hard,brown shell, and inserted into the convex side of the pericarp. Thepulp of the fruit is cooling and laxative. oThe leaves are subacid andaccording to Prosper Alpinus were employed by the Arabians as ananthelmintic.HYMENvEA.Calyx with 2 bracts at the base ;tube turbinate, coriaceous ;limb 4-5-parted, deciduous, with 2 lobes sometimes united in 1.Petals 5, nearly equal, glandular. Stamens 10, distinct, inflatedin the middle. Style filiform. Legume woody, oblong, manyseeded,containing faecula. Embryo straight. Trees. Leavesbifoliolate. Flowers corymbose.553. H. Courbaril Linn sp. pi. 537. Vahl. eel. ii. 30. Lam.illustr. t. 330. f. 1. DC. prodr.ii. 511. Macfady. fl. jjam.i. 349. Tropical parts of America ;common in Jamaica.A lofty spreading tree. Extremities of the branchlets terete, markedwith long, ferruginous, reticulated scales. Leaves alternate, stalked,binate leaflets ; oblong, unequal at the base, entire, obtusely acuminate,coriaceous, nerved, somewhat veiny, dark green above, paler withminute dark green dots beneath. Panicles terminal, stalked. Bractssomewhat membranous, deciduous. Sepals 4, deciduous, one of them266