Illustrations of Indian Botany, Vol. 1/Moringeae

by Robert Wight

LV.—MORINGEAE.

This is a small order consisting of one genus and about three species, long associated with Leguminosce though sufficiently distinct, and so peculiar in its relations, that it is not yet deter- mined where it should stand in the series of orders ; the structure of the ovary placing it among the Parietose group near Violarieoe, while according to the flowers it is more justly refer- able to the tribe Ccesalpiveae of Leguminosae. The characters derived from the latter as being the more conspicuous of the two, seem to have induced Botanists to prefer placing it near Leguminosae, the more so, as the habit still further associates it with that order.

" Calyx 5-partite : aestivation slightly imbricated. Petals 5, nearly equal, the upper one ascending. Stamens perigynous : filaments 10, flat, and hairy at the base : anthers 5 or 10, peltate, simple, 1-celled, with a thick convex connectivum. Torus fleshy, lining the tube of the calyx. Ovarium free, stipitate, I -celled : style filiform, terminal, not obliquely inserted: stigma simple. Placentae three, parietal. Fruit a pod-like capsule, 1-celled, 3-valved, loculi- cide. Seeds numerous, half buried in the fungous substance of the valves. Albumen none. Radicle straight, small : cotyledons fleshy, plano-convex. — Leaves twice or thrice pinnate, with an odd leaflet. Racemes panicled."

Affinities. As stated above, these are very obscure owing to the peculiar structure of the ovary, 1-celled, with three parietal placentas, the fruit afterwards splitting into three valves. Arnott (Encyclopedia Britanica 7th edition) remarks " formerly considered as part of the Leguminosae but now separated by Mr. Brown. It seems however to have more affinity with these than with any others : nor do we see in the fruit very grave objections to such a supposi- tion, as the flowers of Gleditschia have occasionally two carpels united in the same manner as the three of Moringa."

On the correctness or otherwise of this view I can offer no opinion, being altogether unac- quainted with Gleditschia; Lindley however holds an opposite opinion; he says " DeCan- clolle who did not overlook its anomalous structure as a leguminous plant, accounted for the compound nature of its fruit upon the supposition, that though unity of carpels is the normal structure of Leguminosae, yet the presence of more ovaries than one in a few instances in that order explained the constantly trilocular state of that of Moringa. To this however there are numerous and grave objections which cannot fail to strike every Botanist. What its proper station should be remains to be determined" again " Decaisne seems to think, it has more affi- nity with Leguminosae than with any other order." On these passages it may be observed, that it would have been more satisfactory had some of the grave objections been stated, since it is quite undeniable, that Messrs. DeCandolle, Arnott and Decaisne are all eminent Botanists

MORINGEÆ

MORINGA PTERYGOSPERMA. (Gaertn.)

and yet they do not seem to have been struck by them. While I thus object to such sweeping conclusions as the above, I confess I cannot help coinciding with Dr. Lindley in thinking, that the doctrine he opposes is pushed, in this instance, much too far by these authors, though I scarcely feel myself sufficiently master of the subject to join issue with them on this, one of the most difficult questions in Botany.

Geographical Distribution. India and Arabia are the native countries of these plants, but they are now introduced into the West Indies where they are cultivated for the sake of the very pure sweet oil with which their seeds abound.

Properties and Uses. The roots of M. pterygosperma are very pungent, and have the taste and peculiar flavour of horse radish in so eminent a degree, that any one unacquainted with it, would at once declare on tasting, that it really was that root, and as such, is very generally used by Europeans as a substitute. A little of the juice added to mustard so greatly augments its pungency, as almost to render it too much so for use and would, I should suppose, prove a very valuable adjunct to sinapisms in cases where it is desirable to render them unusually active. From wounds in the bark, a large quantity of gum exudes, agreeing in some of its properties with gum Tragacanth. Like it, it swells and softens in water, but does not form a fluid homogeneous mucilage like gum arabic, and is quite insoluble in alcohol. In this country both the leaves and capsules are used by the natives as pot-herbs, the latter being very generally introduced as an ingredient of their curries, on account of the peculiar flavour they communicate. The seed contains a large quantity of a very pure fixed oil, which in the West Indies is used as a salad oil. In the arts it is employed for lubricating delicate machinery, and is preferred by watch-makers to all others for oiling the machinery of clocks and watches, for which purpose, its non-liability to freeze at low temperatures greatly augments its value.

EXPLANATION OF PLATE 77.

1. Moringa pterygosperma—natural size.

2. A dissected flower—natural size.

3. Stamens and ovary, sepals and petals removed.

4. Anthers back and front views.

5. Petals detached.

6. Ovary pedicelled.

7.—cut vertically, showing the parietal attachment of the ovules.

8.—cut transversely, 1-celled.

9. A full grown capsule.

10. The same cut transversely, to show its 3 valves and winged seed in situ.

11. A detached seed.

12. The same cut transversely.

13. The cotyledons— natural size.

14. One of them showing the radicle at the base—with the exceptions mentioned, all more or less magnified.

LVI.-LEGUMINOSAE.

With the exception of Composite this is the largest, in so far as the number of species is concerned, of any of the Dicotyledonous orders, and viewed in relation to its economical applications, I believe I may safely say, about the most important of the vegetable kingdom. Its species are found in every region from the Polar zones to the Equinox, flourishing equally amidst the snows of Lapland and Siberia, and exposed to the scorching heats of the tropies; floating in water, and on the most and arid plains of Asia and Africa. Its forms include almost every variety met with among Dicotyledonous plants, the most lowly herbs, and most stately trees, with all their intermediate gradations, being alike members of it. The foliage is equally variable, the leaves being either partially wanting, and their place supplied by enlarged stipules, or by dilated foot stalks; or they are simple, or present almost every variety of combination of those called compound, from the most simple combination of 2 leaflets half adhering together as in Bauhinia, up to the complexity of the form designated tripinnate. Turning from the foliage to the flowers we equally find almost every variety, regular and irregular, perfect and imperfect : bi or unisexual, petals absent or present: distinct, or united, regular and equal, or unequal and irregular, forming what is respectively called Rosacious and Papilionaceous corollas. The stamens in like manner are few or many, distinct or united into one or several bundles, the filaments usually all antheriferous, but sometimes part only bearing anthers. The female portion of the flower presents fewer irregularities, the ovary, with one or two, very rare exceptions, being 1 -celled, that is composed of a single carpillary leaf, not of several as in most other Dicotyledonous plants. The fruit or legume however is most variable, and on that account affords excellent generic characters, being either one or many-seeded.