652 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY, 



Flowers unisexual, amentiferous, with no true calyx, but in 

 place of that organ they have small scaly bracts, which in some 

 cases are arranged in a whorled manner. Male flowers with 2 

 or 3 stamens opposite the bracts. Female flowers Avith a 2- 

 celled ovary, with I pendulous ovule in each cell. Fruit dry, 

 indehiscent, 1-ceiled, I -seefled, without a cupule. 5ee(/ pendu- 

 lous, exalbuminous ; radicle superior. 



Distribution, ^c. — They are principally natives of the colder 

 regions in the northern hemisphere. Examples : — Betula, Alnus. 

 There are 2 genera, and 65 species. 



Properties and Uses. — They are valuable for their timber, 

 and for their astringent, tonic, and febrifugal barks. 



Brtula — B. alba, the common Birch, yields the timber known as Norway 

 Birth. The wood is also used for charcoal. The bark yields a kind of oil, 

 which gives the peculiar odour to Russia leather. The sap contains in the 

 spring a good deal of sugar, hence it is used in the preparation of a wine, which 

 is commonly known as Birch wine ; this is employed in domestic practice for 



stone and gravel. Betula nigra The Black Birch of North America, is 



also valuable for its timber. Its sap like that of B. alba and B. lenia, yields 

 sugar of good quality. Betula papyracea has a thick tough bark, which is 

 used by the Indians in North America for boats, shoe-soles, and other pur- 

 poses. ' The bark of B. Bhajapaltra is employed in India as a kind of paper. 

 The bark of .B. lenta, known in the United Slates as Swe^t Birch or Cherry 

 Birch, yields by distillation a volatile oil, which is identical with that ot the 

 GauUheria procujnbens. 



Alnus gluthiosa, the common Alder Its wood has been employed for 



the piles of bridges. Its bark is astringent, and has been used in medicine, 

 and for tanning and dyeing. The leaves and catkins have similar properties. 

 The wood is also employed for the manufacture of charcoal. The bark oi A. 

 incana is used in Kamschatka for making a kind of bread. 



Natural Order 233. Altingiace^ orBALSAMiFLU^E. — The 

 Liqnidambar Order. — Balsamiferous trees, with simple or 

 lobed alternate leaves, and deciduous stipules. Flowers uni- 

 sexual, involucrate, amentiferous. Male flowers naked, with 

 numerous nearly sessile anthers. Female flowers with a 2-celled 

 ovary, the whole flowers collected into a globular head ; ovules 

 numerous. Fruit a cone-shaped body, composed of 2-celled 

 capsules enclosed in hard scales. Seeds winged, peltate, albu- 

 minous ; embryo inverted ; radicle superior. 



Distribution, ^c. Natives of the Avarmer parts of India, 

 North America, and the Levant. Examples : — The only genus 

 is Liquidambar (Alfingia of some botanists). It contains 3 

 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Chiefly remarkable for fragrant bal- 

 samic properties. The species have warm bitter barks. 



Uquidamhar . —L.orientaleof Miller, yields the Liquid Storax of the shops. 

 (See Slyrax.) This plant is called in Cyprus, Xi/lon Kjff'endi (the wood of 

 our Lord). The storax is obtained from'the iimer bark, which is afterwards 

 used by the Turks for the ))iirpose of fumigation. This is the Cortex Thtjmia. 

 rtiatis or Storax Bark of pliarmacologisis. Linuidainbar styraciftna, a native 

 of the United States and Central America, yields by incision, a fluid balsamic 

 juice called Uquidnnibar or copalui balsam. L. altingia, a native of Java, 

 yields a similar (ragrani balsam. In their effects and uses, both Li(|uid Storax 

 and Liqiiid.imbar resemble other balsamic substances, as the Balsams of I'eru 

 and Tolu, Benzoin, &c. 



