These flowers which constitute an Indian dye stuff of minor importance, yeild a minute amount of a red, crystalline colouring matter C15H18O3 , identical with the nycanthin obtained by Hill from the flowers of Nycanthis arbor tristis. This melts at 285°— 287° and not 234° — 235°C. as given by Hill, and in dyeing and other properties closely resembles, but is not identical with, the bixin of annatto (Bixa Orellana). The presence of quercetin contaminated with a trace of an allied colouring matter as glucosides, and of a sugar, C12H22O11 have also been detected, and to the former the main dyeing properties of the flowers appear to be due.
J. Ch. I. 31st August, 1912 p. 765.
275. Chloroxylon swietenia, D.C. H. f, b. i i, 569.
Syn. :— Swietenia Chloroxylon, Roxb. 370.
Eng. : — The Indian Satin wood.
Vern. : — Dhoura, bhirra, girya (H.) ; Behru, biluga,bhayrú bheyri(Uriya) ; Behra, girya, behru, bihri (C. P.) ; Sengel sali (Kol.); Bhira (Gond.) ; Hulda, billú hardi, bheria (Bom.); Halda, bheria (Mar.) ; Múdúdad, burús, purúshmúdudad- maram, purus-burus, vummray, múdúda, vummaai-porasham, kodawah-porash, kodawah-porasham, vummay-maram, Kodawa purrh (Tam.) ; Billu, billuda, bilgu, biluga, billuchettu, billa- kora, billukura, bhallú-chettu (Tel.) ; Mashuda (Kan.) ; Hura- galu (Mysore). Ceylon Tamil, Mutrrai ; Buruta (Sinhalese).
Habitat : — Western Peninsula, from the Concan to the Nilghiris. Ceylon dry regions.
A moderate-sized, deciduous tree. Bark ⅓in. thick, soft spongy, light grey or yellow. Wood very hard, yellow, or cream-coloured, the inner wood darker than the outer, but no distinct heart-wood ; having only a fine satiny lustre ; fragrant. young parts, petioles and inflorescence covered with grey pubescence. Leaves paripinnate 5-9in. Leaflets 10-20 pair, ⅔-1⅓ by ¼-⅝in., opposite, sub-opposite or alternate, gland-dotted un-equal-sided, obtuse. Flowers bisexual, cream-coloured, in small, terminal and axillary panicles Pedicels longer than the flowers Petals 5, coloured, spreading, imbricate in bud. Disk fleshy, 10-lobed. Stamens 10, inserted outside the disk at its base ; anthers cordate, apiculate, versatile. Ovary immersed in the disk, 3-celled ; ovules 8 in each cell. Capsule 1in. long by ½in, thick, oblong, coriaceous, 3-celled loculicidally, 3-valved, the
