the NICKAR TREE: A genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the decandra class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 33rd order, Lomentaceae. The calyx is monophyllous and salver-shaped; the petals, inserted into the neck of the calyx, nearly equal. The seed-vessel a legume.

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 morunga, 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 horseradish are in Europe. The wood dyes a beautiful blue colour. It is the lignum nephriticum, or nephritic wood, of the dispensatories; and is brought over in large, compact, ponderous pieces, without knots, of a whitish or pale yellow colour on the outside, and dark coloured or reddish within; the bark is usually rejected. This wood imparts to water or rectified spirit a deep tincture; appearing, when placed between the eye and the light, of a golden colour; in other situations blue; pieces of another wood are sometimes mixed with it, which give only a yellow colour to water. The nephritic wood has scarcely any smell, and very little taste. It stands recommended in difficulty of urine, nephritic complaints, and all disorders of the kidneys and urinary passages; and is said to have this peculiar advantage. advantage, that it does not, like the warmer diuretics, heat or offend the parts. Practitioners, however, have not found these virtues warranted by experience.