640 



SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



Natural Order 214.- 

 Fig. 1010. 



This done, the sack formed of the bark is turned inside out, and pulled dow n 

 till the wood is sawed ofT, with the exception of a small piece left to form the 

 bottom of the sack." These sacks are commonly used to carry rice, &c. 



Cecropi'a peltata is remarkable for its stems being hollow except at the 

 nodes, hence they are used for wind instruments. 



Artocarpus.— The fruit of A. incisa is the important bread-fruit of the 

 Moluccas and islands of the Pacific. It supplies the place of corn to the 

 natives of those regions. A. integriJoUa yields the Jak or Jack-fruit ; this is 

 largely used as food in Ceylon, and some other parts of the East. The inner 

 wood is also employed to dye the Buddhist priests robes of a yellow colour. 



Phytocrene — This genus is now commonly considered to constitute a new 

 order called 1' hytocrenacea; . The plants are climbing shrubs natives of the 

 East Indies, with dichlamydeous unisexual flowers, and seeds with a large 

 quantityof albumen, which character at once distinguishes them from Artocar- 

 paceze. They yield a large quantity of watery juice when wounded, hence 

 they are termed Water-vines. 



Platanace^. — The Plane Order. — 

 Trees or shrubs with a watery 

 juice. Leaves alternate, with 

 deciduous sheathing stipules 

 (^fig. 1010). jF/oii;ers unisexual, 

 monoecious, in globular {_fig. 

 1010) amentiferous heads ; a- 

 chlamydeous. Male flowers with 

 one stamen, and a 2- celled linear 

 anther. Female flowers (fig. 

 1010) consisting of a 1-celled 

 ovary, and a thick style ; ovules 

 1 — 2, suspended. Fruits ar- 

 ranged in a compact rounded 

 head, consisting of clavate nuts 

 with a persistent style. Seeds 

 1 — 2, pendulous ; embryo in very 

 thin albumen, with an inferior 

 radicle. 



Distribution, Sfc. — They are 

 natives principally of North 

 America and the Levant. Pla- 

 tanus is the only genus, of which 

 there are 6 ? s])ecies. 



Properties and Uses. — Of no 

 particular importance, except 

 from their being large handsome 

 trees, and hence much grown 

 in our parks and squares. The 

 leaves resemble in form those of 

 the Sycamore tree. The timber 

 is sometimes used by the cabinet 

 maker. 



Natural Order 215. Stila- 

 GiNACEiE. — The Stilago Order. 

 — Trees or shrubs. leaves al- 



Fip. lOin. Branch of the Plane 

 Tree (I'Uitaiws orientalis), with 

 amcntilerouB hcad« of female 

 fluwern. 



