176 
Orchella Weed -Under this name, which is usually applied to 
various species of lino.'clia, a specimen of Lichen from, the West 
Coast of South America was recently received from a Liverpool 
firm for determination. The plant was found to be Vanneliu 
tritlfa, Ach. This species, so far as can be gathered, has not 
been used for commercial purposes, although various other 
lichens, and among them several species of Panite/ia, have been 
employed as substitutes for llocvlla. None of these substitutes 
has been considered, however, to be of the same value as 
Ii tinctoria. 
Before the introduction of coal-tar dyes, Orchella or Orchil was 
largely used for dyeing, the principal species so employed being 
Roccella tinctoria. At the present time, Orchella is chiefly 
employed in the preparation of Litmus. 
Oil-seeds.-Samples of Oil seeds for dcmrmi nation are frequently 
received at the Museum, more particularly from Liverpool and 
London firms. Of tho* ! the following mav be 
recorded : — 
Owala of Gaboon, Opachala of the Eboe country 
(Pentaddhra mwroplnjlhi, Louth.), a tree of the natural order 
Uyinninnw, native of Upper Guinea, attaining a height of 50 or 
bO feet,_ The thick woody pods are 20 to 25 inches long, and 
Oo to 4 inches broad, ami contain much-eompressed dark brown 
shining seeds, samples of which have been frequently received 
from Liverpool oil merchants for determination. 
The seeds are employed as food on the Niger, and the natives 
J'* tract a bitty oil from th<-tn which tlmy use for domestic purposes. 
The oil is also suitable for lubricating maeliinerv, for candle- 
ma km- and soap-making. The yield of oil is estimated to be 
4o per cent., and the refuse cake after the expression of the oil is 
stated to contain 30 per cent, of albuminoids. 
Specimens of the pods, seeds, and oil are exhibited in Case 43, 
Museum No. 1. A living plant will be found in the collection. 
Kusam Lac Tree of India (Schteichera trijuga, Willd.).— A 
huge tree oi the order Sapin<kia'ne, found in the dr\ forests from 
the .North-west Himalaya at Sirmor, throughout' Central and 
^•I'thern India, Lurma and Ceylon, Java, Timor, &c. The fruit 
^ Y° .' m ' " to three seeds, surrounded with 
ii'ih Aceordin-r to Dvmoek in - Pharma- 
'/"f ' '-' ' ; .. 1 ' ■ ^lieseeds yield an oil used for burning in 
' U y "'/' L ' ! ' '" n * ^puted t both, ori-inal Macassar oil, 
be a valuable stimulating and cleansing 
- which promotes the growth of the hair. 
,,'.'. /'"Y ble timber, 
^fft! 'ments,&c. It is also considered 
of kuwn WD in commerce un der the name 
M^^o^^r ri i e £ J^ UCte from this tree > including 
Ma-assaroil from the Dutch East Indies, and samples of -Samba'' 
