MONOCHLAMTDE^. 



639 



(Sycamorus antiquorum),' the Sycamore Fig, is said to have yielded the wood 

 from which mumTy-cases were made. Richard states that the Abyssinians 

 eat the inner bark o*" F. panifica. 



Dorsteriia. — The rhizomes and roots of several species have been supposed 

 to be antidotes to the bites of venomous reptiles ; those of D. Contrayervu 

 and brazil/ensis have been employed in Britain for their stimulant, tonic, and 

 diaphoretic properties. 



Natural Order 213. — \ ;^ ^ Fig. 1009. 



Artocarpace^. — The 

 Bread - fruit Order. — 

 Trees or shrubs with 

 a milky juice. Leaves 

 alternate ( Jig. 1 009 ), 

 simple, with large convo- 

 lute stipules. Flowers uni- 

 sexual, in dense heads (fig. 

 1009). Malefloicers (fig. 

 1009, b.), achlamydeous, 

 or with a 2 — 4-lobed, or 

 2 — 4-sepaled calyx. Sta- 

 mens opposite the lobes of 

 the calyx, or sepals. Fe- 

 male flowers arranged over 

 a fleshy receptacle of vaiy- 

 ing shape (fig. 1009, a,c,). 

 Calyx inferior, tubular, 2 

 — 4 -cleft, or entire. Ovai-y 

 superior, 1 -celled. Fruit 

 commonly a sorosis. Seed erect or pendulous, with a little or 

 no albumen ; embryo straight, with a superior radicle. 



Distribution, §*c. — Exclusively tropical plants. Examples : — 

 — Brosimum,Antiaris, Cecropia, Artocarpus, Phytocrene. There 

 are 32 genera, and about 60 species. 



Properties and Uses. — The milky juice contains caout- 

 chouc, but this is not an article of commerce. This juice is in 

 some cases poisonous, while in others it forms a nutritious 

 beverage. Some yield valuable timber. The fruits of some are 

 edible, and the seeds generally of plants of this order are whole- 

 some. 



Fig. 1009 Branch of the Bread-fruit Tree 

 {ArtocarpiLS incisa). a. c. Heads of pistillate 

 flowers, b. Head of staminate flowers. 



Piratinera Guianensis yields the beautiful fancy wood called Snake Wood 

 or Letter Wood. 



Brosimum (.Galaciodendron) utile is the celebrated Palo de Vaca, or Cow- 

 tree of South America. It is so named from its milky juice being nutritious 

 like milk from the cow. The fibrous bark of J?. Namagua is used in Panama 

 for sails, ropes, garments. &c. 



Autiaris. -A. toiicaria is the celebrated Antsjnr or Upas poison tree of Java, 

 but most of the stories related concerning it are fabulous. The milky juice is 

 the poisonous product. This poison owes it- activity to a peculiar principle 

 named by Pelletier and Caventou antiarin. Antiaris ( Lepurandra) saccidora, a 

 native of the East Indies, has a very tough inner bark, which is used for cord- 

 age, matting, &c. Sacks also are made from it as follows: — "A branch is 

 cut corresponding to the length and diameter of the sack wanted. It is soaked 

 a little, and then beaten with clubs until the liber separates from the wood. 



