CALOPHYLLU3I (from naafis, beautiful, and leaf), a genus of plants belonging to the natural order Guttifertc. It has a bractless calyx, consisting of from 2-4 unequal coloured sepals; 4 petals (some times 2) opposite the sepabs; indefinite stamens, free or connected at the base; filaments short ; anthers inserted by their base, 2-celled, bursting longitudinally ; the style twisted, crowned by a large capitate stigma, which is usually lobed; fruit drupaceous, globose or egg shaped, 1-celled, 1-seeded; the seeds large. The species are trees, the leaves of which have numerous transverse parallel veins, which give them a very beautiful appearance.
C. InophyUum has oblong or obovato obtuse leaves, usually emargi nate ; round branches ; loosely racemes° flowers; racemes axillary, 1-flowered ; usually opposite peduncles. This tree is a native of the East and often attains a height of 90 or 100 feet. It has large handsome leaves like those of a water-lily, snow-white fragrant Rowers, and a fruit about the size of a walnut. When the trunk is wounded it exudes a yellow viscid juice, which frequently hardens to consistence of a gum. It is a common plant in Malabar, where it the fruit twice a year—in March and September—and frequently yields . '-e age of 300 years. The nuts afford a fixed oil, which is attains tf. •fl used for burning in lamps, for making ointment, &c. "premed' of its 'tivated in Java for the sake of its shade and the fragrance This tree is cu. flo. -vers. The bark and the exudation are used for medicinal purposes.
has obovate or oblong, obtuse or emarginato C. Colada, Calaba-Troe - lateral very short racemes. leaves ; hermaphrodite or .flowera ight, and is a native of the Ceribbee This plant is a tree CO feet in and a green fruit some Islands It has white flowers, thing like the cornelian cherry, contains a white solid kernel.
An oil is expressed from the seed for a,:tinstic uses and for burning in lamps. The timber is need for varioi:s Purls:meg, especially for , East Indian a staves and cask-headings. Lindley says that the true Tar-amebas* is produced by Calophyllune Calan.q." There are how ever several gums brought into the market under the name of Taca mahaca, of which formerly more was used than at the present day.
The `Tacamahaca sou Resina Tacamahaca' of the old P:Sarmacoixcias appears to have been the produce of the Elaphrium tonte.raosunt and excelstetn, plants belonging .0 the natural order A myridetr. It is described on a resin of a brownish yellow colour, spotted with white, easily broken into pieces, which have a shining fracture, easily melting in the fire, and having a pleasant scent. Cullen says that it was not employed in his day "as an internal medicine; and as an external I cannot perceive its virtues." It was used for making plaster. as a counterirritant, for which there are forms in the conti mental Pharrnacopasins at the present day. There is however another form of Tacsmahaca brought to Europe called 'Tacamalfacivin-Shells.' It bag got this name from being collected in little gourd-ehelle. This is the true East Indian Tecamahaca, whisk is collected from C.
Inophyllux in the East Indian Islands and from C. Tacaeiahaeo in Madagascar and the Mauritius. C. Brasiliensr yields an acrid aromatic lemon-scented mein. C. angustifol lam is the Piney-Tree of Penang, and yields a hard timber.
(Bischoff, Medieinisch-PharmaceutiscAe Botaai ; London, Encyclo prdia ; Don, Card. Diet. ; Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom.)