IX. THE BREAD-FRUIT FAMILY. 279 



FAMILY IX. THE BREAD-FRUIT FAMILY. ARTOCARPEJE. 



Brown. 



This family consists, with a single exception, of trees and 

 shrubs, with alternate, toothed, or lobed, or entire leaves, and 

 milky juice. They are natives of tropical regions, two or three 

 genera, Morus, Broussonetia and Madura, being found towards 

 the north, and a single species of Morus, as far as Canada. 



To this family belongs the famous Upas tree, Antidris, of 

 Java, which has long been considered the most deadly poison in 

 the world. And here also, in strange companionship, are the 

 Bread-fruit Tree, the Fig, the Mulberry, the Osage Orange, and 

 the Fustic, a kind of mulberry whose wood furnishes the well- 

 known yellow dye. The juice of all is remarkable for being 

 milky, and contains a considerable portion of caoutchouc. It 

 is, even in those that produce wholesome fruit, usually acrid 

 and of a suspicious character, and sometimes poisonous. Yet 

 here also we find the Palo di Vacca, the famous Cow-tree of 

 South America, which yields a large supply of rich and whole- 

 some milk; and the fruit of several of the plants, besides those 

 already mentioned, are eatable. Many virtues are ascribed to 

 the various kinds of fig. The Ficus religibsa, the Indian Fig, 

 or Banyan tree of India, is justly looked upon as one of the sig- 

 nal favors of Providence to tropical India, furnishing to the 

 traveller a natural temple, thick shade, and refreshing fruit. 



This family is distinguished by having its fruit usually situ- 

 ated on or within a fleshy receptacle, covered by numerous nuts 

 or drupes, — rarely a single one, — enveloped by a fleshy or pulpy 

 involucre, and forming a compound fruit, like many berries or 

 fleshy fruits grown together. The name Artocarpcce, was given 

 by De Candolle to a section of the nettle family, to indicate the 

 most important tree of this group, (the Arlocarpus, literally 

 bread-fruit.) and the fleshy character of the fruit, 



The genera that are found native or cultivated in this climate 

 are Moms. Broussonetia, and Madura. The only one native 

 is, — 



