America an ivory-bearing plant—the Phytelephas macrocarpa, 
Ruiz et Pav., producing a substance so exactly resembling to the 
eye the ivory obtained from elephants as to be frequently passed 
off for such, and even employed by mechanics, as far as its size 
will allow, in place of that article. When the Vegetable Ivory 
first came to be imported into Europe for commercial purposes 
has not yet been accurately ascertained; but there is reason to 
believe that it was shortly after the Spanish Colonies—its native 
country—obtained their mdependence (about the year 1826). 
Be that as it may, the vegetable ivory is now imported, chiefly 
from the river Magdalena, into Europe and the United States of 
America; but we are still uncertain to what amount, as we have 
no statistical information on that point; judging however from 
the use that is made of the article, the amount must be consider- 
able. I know, from the inquiries instituted by Ferd. Scheer, 
Esq., that in some years no less than a hundred and fifty tons of 
it were imported into England ; and that the “nuts ” are shipped 
from the places where they grow in large quantities is evident 
from Purdie mentioning, in one of his letters to Sir W. J. Hooker 
(Botanical Magazine for 1847, comp. p. 14) :—“ A few days ago 
(about the middle of February, 1845) thirty tons of the ‘nuts’ 
arrived from the Magdalena (at Santamarta), commissioned for 
(the United States of) America and Germany.” The “nuts” 
may be purchased in the toyshops of the British metropolis for 
a few pence each, but when bought in large quantities they are 
obtainable at a very much cheaper rate; in August, 1854, one 
thousand “nuts” were sold in London for seven shillings and 
sixpence. : 
Long before the attention of commercial men was directed to — 
the vegetable ivory, the existence of the plant producing it was 
known to botanists. It was during the latter part of the last 
century that two Spaniards, Ruiz and Pavon, gave, in their 
‘Systema Vegetabilium Flore Peruvians et Chilensis,’ published 
at Madrid in 1798, a scientific name (Phytelephas macrocarpa, 
R. et P.) to it, together with a brief description and a notice of 
its Peruvian names, and its properties and uses. The generic 
name (from ¢vrov, a plant, and ededas, an elephant) was certainly 
well chosen, and has ever since been retained in systematical 
works in preference to that proposed by Willdenow (Hephantusia 
macrocarpa); unfortunately the diagnosis attached to it was very 
imperfect, the reason why the plant has to this day remained 
without a fixed station in the Natural System. A short time 
after the publication alluded to, Humboldt and Bonpland disco- 
vered the Phytelephas macrocarpa in New Granada, and collected 
some information concerning it, which however, useful as it 
proved in many respects, did not throw much hight upon it in a 
