GUILANDINA, the NICKAR TREE; a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the decandria class of plants.
Species. 1. The bonduc, or yellow nickar. 2. The bonducella, or gray nickar. These are climbing plants, natives of the West Indies, where they rise to the height of twelve or fourteen feet: the flowers come out at the wings of the stalks; and are composed of five concave yellow petals. They are succeeded by pods about three inches long and two broad, closely armed with slender spines, opening with two valves, each inclosing two hard seeds about the size of children's marbles, of a yellowish colour. 3. The moringa, or morunga nickar, is a native of the island of Ceylon, and some places on the Malabar coast. It rises to the height of 25 or 30 feet, having flowers produced in loose bunches from the side of the branches, and composed of an unequal number of petals.
Culture and Uses. These plants being natives of warm climates, require to be kept through the winter in a stove in this country. They are propagated by seeds; but those of the first sort are so hard, that unless they are soaked two or three days in water before they are put into the ground, or placed under the pots in the tan-bed to soften their covers, they
will remain for years without vegetating.—The roots of the third sort are scraped when young, and used by the inhabitants of Ceylon and Malabar as those of horse-radish are in Europe. The wood dyes a beautiful blue colour.