Of

‘'Velve

THE CALUMBA PLANT.

1321

,r Octeo] es Se ^^ S * n t' onr series, with two, three, or more close-pressed.^Pals, (]: ’ • Tm/es: stamens six, or rarely three, opposite to the innergij. ln , C J ; .’ an thers two-celled, terminal, dehiscing vertically; fila-fc , a(: h ext(. r ° r .* 'tonn with the anther cells horizontal, approximate, ando Ca ting d na ^ two-lobed, or thickened at the apex with the cells diva-a *'ee ) six°" nUar ^ S ’ ant ^ se P a rated by the connective. Females: ovaries® n e- Se(ic ] ’ or numerous. Drupes one to six, or numerous, one-celled,°" ( ‘red ■ r ** ^uncles axillary or rarely lateral; males usually many-s, 0all o n ' L ‘ ln: des generally few-flowered, without bracts, or with verySp_ present (Lindley).

Alt '~ Leaves cordate at the base, five- to seven-lobed; lobesquite entire, acuminate, somewhat hairy. Stemsand ovaries clothed with glandular hair (D. C.)

Root perennial, of several fasciculated, fusiform,fleshy tubers, with a brown, warty epidermis; in-ternally deep-yellow, odourless, very bitter. Stemsannual, herbaceous, twining, beset at the lowerpart with long glanduliferous hairs : of the males,simple; of the females, branching. Leaves alter-nate, nearly orbicular, wavy on the margin, withlong hairy footstalks. Racemes axillary, solitary;in the male plants compound. Flowers small, green.Fruit drupaceous or bended, about the size of ahazel-nut, densely clothed with long spreadinghairs, tipped with a black oblong gland (Bojer, inHooker’s Bot. Mag. tt. 2070-71).

Hab. —Thick forests on the shores of O’ibo andik Mozambique , as well as inland for 15 or 20 miles.

s Pom. TI ° N OF THE Hoots. —The natives never cultivate the plant,si fc ^ (th ai \ e0US P r °d uce being sufficient. The roots are dug up in. ru Ujr 0 e lot season), the offsets from the main root are cut in slices,( Co, Hn lerce C0l j - S ’ a »d hung up to dry in the shade. It is deemed fit for^ a litv v ' , eu > °n exposure to the sun, it breaks short; and of a badi ^Escim, 01111 as s °ft or black.

(f ^ at ci Tl i° N '—Calumba or Colombo root (radix calumbce) is met withrCu , ar or oval pieces, of from half an inch to three inchesj ^dric’jJ 111 ■ * rom one to three or four lines thick. It occurs also inthe s ; i P leces of from one to two inches long. The epidermis cover-. tI) °°th 0r - es pieces is of a yellowisli-gray or brownish colour,

J ,8reyis} 1 lrre p llar l. v ru gous. The transversal surfaces are of a greenish( ''ki'nft fJ; 0 "’ colour, depressed in the middle from the greatjp 1 Cou Ce °. . e medulla in the drying process, and consist of three orIj' 1 * u SU aii nC la y ers - The outer or cortical portion varies in thickness,<too OUs v about two or three lines thick. It is separated from theIn SSl I'} 1( ? rU011 k} r a dark-coloured layer, not exceeding a hair in thick-11 , * e . °don • 1 p enia l or medullary portion is light, spongy, and shrunk.

Q a hc, ar)( j r 0 calumba is faint, but somewhat aromatic: the taste aro-( | Cca sion a ]i' ei y bitter. In the larger and thicker pieces small holes areat ^ (/ Served, which have been made for the convenience ofl ? cl< ed L, n acc °unt of the starch which it contains, the root is readily

I • °y msects.

ypalmatus.

Plant.)

lu debted to Mr. N. B. Ward for a sample of calumba root culti-