DESCRIPTION

Karaya Gum occurs in tears of variable size or in broken, irregular pieces having a somewhat crystalline appearance. In this form, it is a pale yellow to pink-brown, translucent substance that is compact and homogeneous with a dull luster. It is sometimes admixed with a few darker fragments and occasional pieces of bark. In the powdered form, it is light to pink-gray. It is a dried, gummy exudation from Sterculia urens Roxburgh and other species of Sterculia (Fam. Sterculiaceae), or from Cochlospermum gossypium A. P. De Condolle or other species of Cochlospermum Kunth (Fam. Bixaceae). Karaya Gum is insoluble in alcohol, but it swells in water to form a gel.