Flora Medica

MYROSPERMUM.582. M. peruiferum DC.prodr.ii. 95. S. and C.\\. t. 102.Myroxylum peruiferum Linn. f. suppl. 233. Lamb, illustr.cinch. 92. 1. 1. M. pedicellatum Lam. diet. iv. 191. illustr.t. 341. f. 1. Forests of Peru; low, warm, sunny situationsnear the river Maranon. (Quinquino.)A tree, with a thick, straight, smooth trunk. Bark grey, coarse, compact,heavy, granulated, pale straw-colour inside, filled with resin which,according to its quantity, changes the colour to citron, yellow, red, ordark chesnut ;smell and taste grateful, balsamic and aromatic. Leavespinnated leaflets ;alternate, of 2, 3, 4 or even 5 pairs, ovate-lanceolate,acute, coriaceous, at the apex somewhat emarginate, shining above,hairy on the underside, marked with transparent spots, the terminalone the same size as the others. Racemes axillary, longer than-^ theleaves. Calyx campanulate, nearly equally five-toothed, with the oddtooth remote from the others. Petals 5, white the ; upper reflexed,broad, roundish, emarginate; the other 4 distinct, linear-lanceolatereflexed, spreading. Stamens 10, distinct, spreading, shorter than thepetals anthers mucronate. Samaras pendulous, straw-coloured, pedicellate,linear-oblong, about 2 inches in length, compressed, mem-;branous, except at the apex which is obliquely rounded, clavate,]-celled, 1-seeded. Seed reniform, lying in yellow liquid balsam,which hardens into resin. The stem yields the fragrant bitter aromaticbalsam, called Balsam of Peru, having stimulant tonic expectorantproperties, and employed in palsy, chronic asthma, gleet, leucorrhcea&c. Applied externally in the form of plaster it mitigates headachand toothach : the balsam closes recent wounds. Ruiz.583. M. toluiferum Ach. Rich. ann. sc. 1824. ii.p. 172.DC. prodr.ii. 95. Toluifera Balsamum Mill. diet. No. 1.Woodv. iii. 526. t. 193. bad. Myroxylon Toluifera HBK.vi. 375. Mountains of Turbaco near Carthagena and extremely;common in the high savannahs of Tolu, near Corozol and VillaTacasuan.Very like the last but different as follows. Leaflets thin, membranous,obovate, taper pointed; the terminal one larger than theothers. The warm, sweet, fragrant, solid stimulant balsam calledBalsam of Tolu is obtained from this tree. It is used in coughs,chronic pulmonary complaints and on account of its flavour. In thelast edition of the London Pharmacopoeiait is said to be the concreteBalsam of the last species; and this agrees with the statement ofRuiz. Guibourt however and most other writers consider the Balsamof Tolu the produce of this species.279 T 4