Description
Watercolour illustration commissioned by William Roxburgh. ROX1053.
In his 'Flora Indica', Roxburgh describes this species as a tree, native of Silhet, Assam and east and north-east of Bengal. According to Roxburgh, in the Botanic garden at Calcutta, this plant flowers around the beginning of the hot season, but rarely ripens its seed. Roxburgh also reports that the plant, when bruised or broken, diffuses a pleasant fragrance, resembling that of the myrrh. However, he notes, that the juice which exudes is soon eliminated by evaporation: 'I have at various times of the year wounded the plant in different places...but all I could ever procure, was a very minute portion of a gummy matter, which certainly resembled myrrh...but had no tendency to be tenacious, or elastic, hence I conclude there must be a mistake in its being the elastic gum tree of Madagascar, as mentioned by Jacquin.'
Roxburgh, 'Flora Indica' (1832) v.2, p.244.
Image Licence
All Rights Reserved
Image Credit
image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew
Location
South Asia
Medium
Watercolour
Tags
Category
Flora & Fauna
