12 THE PLA.NT WORLD. 



noise. The whole wood, not including the bark, is filled with this 

 fluid, and a tree will yield 12 oz. in 3 hours. It is stored in hollow 

 trees, 2,500 lbs. in each, and floated down the Amazon. It is a sub- 

 stance much prized in medicine and perfumery. 



A vegetable glue comes from Cortibretunt guayea, a climber found 

 on the banks of the Orinoco. It has the same properties as animal 

 glue, and is used by the carpenters of Angostura. A kind of butter is 

 given off by an allied species Certain members of the Lily family, 

 Xanthorrhoea, are called grass-gum trees. About 10 species of these 

 are found in Australia. A stout flower stem grows from a centre of a 

 cluster of leaves, 10 to 20 feet high. After a fire, the blackened stems 

 frequently remain standing, giving them the name of "black boys' \ 

 A fragrant resin is obtained from incisions in the stem, which, mixed 

 with nitric acid, is used in dyeing silk and wool yellow. The plants 

 take years to grow before forming a stem. One at Kew gardens, 30 

 years old, was still stemless. 



Mastich resin comes from Plstacia lenticus, a member of the 

 Cashew-nut family, a small, shrubby tree, 15 to 20 feet high. The 

 balsamic sap issues from incisions in the stem and branches, in semi- 

 transparent tears. It is useful in dental preparations, in flne grades of 

 varnish for pictures, canvass, etc. The Peruvian mastich tree exudes 

 from its leaves a highly fragrant, oily fluid. On throwing the leaves 

 into water the oil is ejected with such force that the leaves shrivel and 

 curl as if by spontaneous motion. 



Our beautiful sweet gum tree, L'lqmdambar styracijiua, known by 

 its star-shaped leaves, and woody, bur-like fruit, adding in fall fine 

 color to our forests, exudes a fragrant, balsamic juice, used as a sub- 

 stitute for storax, also to make chewing gum. The gum storax pro- 

 duced by this tree is obtained from Northern Africa and Mexico, It 

 is very similar to balsam of Peru, and therefore is sometimes called 

 white balsam of Peru. It has stimulant and aromatic properties. It 

 is used in France for scentino- gloves. Mixed with tobacco, it once 

 formed the favorite pipe filling of ancient emperors of Mexico. 



Storax proper was long ago derived from a beautiful shrub with 

 white flowers [Storax officinalis), a native of Syria. It was formerly 

 used for incense, and was an article of Phoenician trade. It is the 

 Hebrew halm. 



^ \To he. continued. '\ 



