TRAGACANTH, Gum tragacanth.
SaMagh-1.11-aRWad, ARAB. Kattira, . GUJ., IIIND. Samagh-ul-katira, • I Tragacantha, . . . LAT. Gommi astraganti, . Fn. Kurn, . . . . PERS. Traganth, . . . . GER. Vadomocottaypisini, TAM. rpayrcxxv0a, . . . GR. Badarn vittu banka, TEL.
The gum tragacanth of commerce is a pro duct of several plants. Tournefort adduced as its source Astragalus creticus of Lamarck, a native of Mount Ida in Crete. Labillardiere describes A. gummifer, a native of Mount Libanus in Syria. Olivier names A. verus, inhabiting Asia Minor, -Armenia, and Northern Persia. In Crete and surrounding islands, this guilt is gathered about tho end of June from the A. tragacantlia. Amb authors describe it by the name kasira or katim, for which, in the north west and in the Peninsula of India, a katira is substituted, produced by Cochlospennum gossy plum, and another in Pegu, according to M`Clel land, by several species of Stercillia. Dr. E.
Dickson, when in Kurdistan, collected plants which he ascertained to yield a tragacantli. Dr. Lindley determined that the white or best variety is yielded by A. gutinnifer, and the red or inferior kind by his A. strobiliferus. Gum tragacanth is largely employed in calico-printing„ and it has many uses in the arts and in pharmacy. The finest kind occurs in twisted, vermicular, rounded, or elongated pieces, ahnost transparent, whitish, brittle, inodorous, with a. slightly bitter taste. It is also found in large tears, of a vermi cular form, a reddish colour, and mixed with impurities. The vermiform is the variety usually brought to England, while the latter is com monly employed on the continent. —111`Cal. ; Royle ; M'Cl. ; O'Shanyh.; Ainslie; Illaterstone; Faulkner.