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tragacanth |
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tragacanth (trăg`əkănth) or gum tragacanth, gummy exudation from the leguminous shrub Astragalus gummifer and related pulse pulse, in botany, common name for members of the Fabaceae (Leguminosae), a large plant family, called also the pea, or legume, family. Numbering about 650 genera and 17,000 species, the family is third largest, after the asters and the orchids.
..... Click the link for more information. family plants of SE Europe and W Asia. It is obtained through incisions in the stem of the plant. The gum is produced chiefly in Iran. Tragacanth is almost insoluble in water but swells in it to form a stiff gel. It is used as an emulsifying agent, as a component of pills, hand lotions, and medicinal lubricating jellies, as a demulcent, and as a sizing material. A gum (sometimes called Indian tragacanth) from a plant of the sterculia sterculia , common name for some members of the Sterculiaceae, a family of herbs, shrubs, and trees of tropical and subtropical regions. The most important members of the family are the cacao, source of cocoa and chocolate, and the cola, the caffeine-rich seeds of ..... Click the link for more information. family is sold as a cheaper substitute. See gum gum, term commonly applied to any of a wide variety of colloidal substances somewhat similar in appearance and general characteristics, exuded by or extracted from plants. ..... Click the link for more information. . tragacanth [′traj·ə‚kanth] (materials) The gummy exudate produced by certain Asiatic species ofAstragalus; consists of a soluble portion containing uronic acid and arabinose, and an insoluble portion that absorbs water and swells to make a stiff opalescent mucilage. How to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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