SENNA.

1165

jitters (as seeds, date-stones, rabbit-dung, stones, &e.) The latter aregreat part separated by hand-picking, sifting, &c. before the senna isted for use. It then constitutes picked Alexandrian senna (folia senna;ieoc andrina electa).

) Cassia leaflets, flowers, and legumes. —The leaflets of Cassia are readily distin-

Fig. 212.

Fig. 213.

^ c «f^7 5 ' Urne an< t l ea 6 e t °f

e 'leaved Alexandrian senna.

b£e Cassi

la aredescribed.

Legume and leaflet ofC. obovata.

also found ; they are distinguished

guished from those of othergenera found in senna, bybeing unequal-sided ; thatis, by the two sides of theleaflet being unequal insize, shape, or length, andby the veins or nerves oftheir under surface beingvery conspicuous. Theacute-leaved are very rea-dily distinguished from theblunt-leaved species, bytheir shape. The driedflowers of Cassia may beeasily detected; they aredull-yellow. I have notbeen able to make outtheir species. The legumesof the obovate and acute-by the botanical characters

^•) Argel leaves, flowers, and fruit. —The Argel plants are collected by the Arabs , in

214.

the valleys of the desert to the east and south of Assouan (Delile). The leaves found in Alexandrian senna are distin-guished from the senna leaflets by their being equal-sided,—by the absence, or imperfect development of the lateral nerves,—by their paler colour, thicker and more coriaceous texture,—by a yellowish exudation frequently found on them,—and gene-rally, though not invariably, by their greater length. By care-ful picking the flowers may be detected : they are white, andin small corymbs. The fruit, as found in Alexandrian senna,seldom exceeds in size that of a good-sized orange-pip. It isan ovoid follicle, tapering superiorly, brown, shrivelled, andcontains several seeds.

3elle a ves and fruit.

^ Tephrosia leaflets and pods. —The Tephrosia Apollinea (Galega Apollinea,T)eYi\e,pi. 53) grows in cultivated fields near the Nile, at Hermonthis ,at Edfou, and in the Elephantine island, opposite Assouan .The leaflets have a silky or silvery aspect; they are obovate-oblong, somewhat cuneiform, emarginate, equal-sided, taperingtowards the base; its lateral veins parallel, regular, andoblique to the midrib. These leaves are usually found Addedlongitudinally, and are very apt to be overlooked. The legumeis from an inch to an inch and a half long, not exceeding twolines broad, linear, slightly ensiform, and contains six or sevenbrownish seeds.

2. Tripoli Senna. Senna TripoUtana; Folia SennaTripolitana. — It is carried to Tripoli in caravans,^ which go from Fezzan . In general appearance it

7 &| ne and leaflet of resembles Alexandrian senna ; but the leaflets arerosia apollinea. more broken, smaller, less acute than the acute-leaved Alexandrian senna, thinner, greener, and of a