442 BIOLOGY AND HUMAN LIFE 



being different names for it), but tea and coffee give us only 

 this alkaloid and their flavor. 



19. Myrtle order. From this we get the Brazil nut (not a nut 

 at all, but a seed), clove (dried flower bud), and pimento, or 

 allspice (dried berry Kke fruit). 



20. Parsley family. The three homely garden plants parsley, 

 parsnip, and carrot are a substantial part of our root crop. The 

 three flavoring materials caraway, anise, and coriander seeds 

 are really tiny, one-seeded, nutlike fruits. The ill-smelling drug 

 asafetida is prepared from the milky juice in the root of a plant 

 of this family. It is used in very small quantities in food 

 sauces ; but a slight excess would make most of us feel sick at 

 the stomach. The water hemlock and poison hemlock belong 

 to this family; it was the poison of the latter plant which is 

 said to have been given to Socrates. 



325. Higher dicotyledons. Nearly 50,000 species of plants 

 in this division are arranged in over 50 families. Very few of 

 these plants reach the dimensions of trees. Only the families 

 of greatest practical value to mankind are indicated below, but 

 thousands of species are of practical importance in each locality 

 but of no importance in commerce or trade, since equally good 

 substitutes are available in other regions. This applies to plants 

 that supply food, as well as to those that furnish fuel, fiber, 

 dyes, etc. It is equally true that in every region some species 

 are considered pests or weeds, but may be cultivated for their 

 beauty or for some peculiar quality in other regions. 



1. Heath family. The cranberry and huckleberry and win- 

 tergreen are the best-known plants of this group. The moun- 

 tain laurel and the sheep laurel, admired for their beautiful 

 flower clusters, are poisonous in all parts and should be handled 

 with some understanding. After gathering these plants, be sure 

 to wash the hands thoroughly. 



2. Olive family. Although both the fruit and the oil are used more in 

 European countries than they are here, Americans are gradually learning 

 to value the flavor and the other qualities. The white ash belongs to 

 this family. 



