COPAIVA.

1173

^Ual sepals united at the base. Petals none. Stamens ten distinct,,. arl .V equal; anthers oblong. Style filiform. Legume stalked, obliquely'Optical, coriaceous, somewhat compressed, two-valved, with two ovules,e 'Seeded. Seed elliptical, inclosed in a baccate aril. Embryo£ ai ght; radicle somewhat lateral.— Trees . Leaves abruptly pinnate,coriaceous, somewhat unequal, ovate. Flowers paniculate

, Species .—1. C. multijoga, Hayne.— Leaflets six to ten pairs, ovate-} ( t ! Ce °late, acuminate, mucronate, with pellucid dots. Petiole slightly^ le P rov > nce of Para the greatest quantity of the balsam is fur-

2 ^ by this species (Hayne).

'■ C. Langsdorfii, Desf . L.—Leaflets three to five pairs, ovate or oval,( j Utl b equal-sided, with pellucid dots. Petioles and -peduncles slightly—This and the following species furnish the balsam collected

3 llat ives of Santa Paulo.

s 'i • C. coriacea, Mart.— Leaflets two to three pairs, elliptical, equal-s'i ec *’ urnar o' nat e> coriaceous, not dotted, reticulated, smooth on boths somewhat glaucous beneath. Petioles and peduncles almost—Bahia—It yields balsam of copaiva in Santa Paulo.

Pai 0FFICINALIS > Linn. D.; C. Jacquini, Desf.— Leaflets two to fivedot S> * ncurve d> ovate, unequal-sided, obtusely acuminate, with pellucidS '~~~Venezuela , near Calaboso, West Indies.—An inferior kind of

bal$ ;

Th

ain is said to be obtained from this species.

e following are species of Copaifera described by Hayne :—o. C. Beyrichii, Ilayne.—Mandiocca, in the Brazils.

,?■ C. guianensis, Desf.—Guiana, near Rio Negro.

?• V Martii, Hayne.—Para.

,?• C. bijuga, Willd.—Brazils.

I • V Jussieui, Hayne.—Brazils.

C. nitida. Mart.—Brazils (Minas Geraes).

I ‘ C. baxa, Hayne.—Brazils.

C. cordifoua, Hayne.—Brazils.

• C. Seleowii, Hayne.—Brazils.

C- oblongifolia, Mart.—Brjzils (Minas Geraes).

l bc-

th

^TKACTION of the Balsam.. —The balsam is obtained by making

ls >ons

into the stems of the trees. It exudes so abundantly that, at

season, twelve pounds are sometimes obtained in the space offlow ,T )Urs (Piso, op. supra cit. p. 56). If, however, no balsam shoulditi a p “ e Wound is immediately closed with wax or clay, and re-openedtitp es J tni ght, when an abundant discharge takes place. Old trees some-(j 0 . urr| ish balsam two or three times in the year.

^l ara ' I ? IEK CE.—Balsam of Copaiva is principally obtained from Para andJug a .f 10 ' Thig probably is yielded, for the most part, by C. multi-fr<) tri q arl hagena, Maracaibo ', and Savanilla, also furnish some. Is thisth 6re ‘ °fficinalis ? Occasionally it is brought from Rio Janeiro , and isth etl procured from C. Langsdorfii and coriacea. Now and

But a considerable quantity is

■^Portlf] 0 conies from the West Indies.

111 Ca.sk ’ al sec °nd hand, from New York . It is usually brought overPer c\yn 10 bling one cwt. or one and a half cwts. In 1839 duty (4s.lh’w.i_' Vas paid on 643 cwts.

a cl ear ifTiox.—Balsam of Copaiva (balsamum copaiva seu copaiba) is’ la nsparent liquid, having for the most part the consistence of