100 VARIOUS FOOD-PLANTS 
Fic. 108.—Date (Phenix dactylifera, Palm Family, Palmacee). Group of 
trees in an oasis of the Sahara desert. (Strasburger.) 
on account of its strongly acid sap; in spite of its fruit-like 
qualities, however, it can still less be called a fruit. 
Similarly in the olive (Fig. 113) we have a fruit which is 
put to a peculiar use. The pulp instead of being sour or sweet, 
abounds in a rich oil, which when extracted by pressure, is 
the most highly valued of vegetable oils for salads and in 
cookery. Peanuts and various other oily nuts, as also cotton 
seed and others rich in oil, yield a similar product which is 
