LA MORTOLA. 13 



fruit. There are also some small plants of Fraxinus Ornus, the 

 Manna-ash, reminding one of the interesting article written by 

 Daniel H anbury ("Science Papers," London, 1876, p. 355) con- 

 cerning the Manna of Sicily. Near the Illicium anisatum, the 

 Star anise-tree of the Chinese, stands its Japanese relation, 

 Illicium religiosum, Siebold ; the latter is just now in blossom ; 

 both plants bear large thick leathery leaves of a light green colour, 

 and very brittle ; those of Illicium anisatum, when held up to the 

 light, show numerous oil cells, exhaling when bruised an aromatic 

 taste and smell ; this is not the case with /. religiosum. The 

 poisonous fruits of the latter made some sensation in London and 

 elsewhere in Europe in 1880, when they were found mixed by 

 chance with some of the true Star anise. The stiff small leaves 

 of the Chilian Monimiacea, Boldoa fragrant. Gay (Illustration in 

 Bentley and Trimen, " Medicinal Plants," iii., London, 1880, p. 

 2 1 7), also contain an abundance of oil cells filled with a strong- 

 smelling volatile oil, to which the " Folia Boldo " have owed during 

 the past twelve years their presumably ephemeral position among 

 medicinal plants. There is at present growing here only a small 

 specimen of Pilocarpus pennatifolius, Lemaire, one of the Brazilian 

 Rutacese, which furnishes a really valuable remedy in its alkaloid 

 " Pilocarpine ;" the plant seems to thrive so well, however, that it is 

 to be hoped that it will make a permanent settlement here. (Illus- 

 tration, Bentley and Trimen, " Medicinal Plants," i. p. 48 ; com- 

 pare further, Flilckiger and H anbury, " Pharmacographia," 1879, 

 p. 113.) Some few examples of the Cork Oak, Quercus Suber, are 

 still too small to give one a proper conception of this important tree, 

 but there are some promising specimens of the Ceratonia Siliqua, 

 the St. John's bread-tree, of which magnificent specimens occur at 

 Alassio and Monaco, and also of Quillaja Saponaria, Molina, whose 

 bark is exported from Chili to Europe under the name of Panama 

 wood, on account of its soap-like properties. It is used for washing 

 stuffs ; with its small hard leaves, its five nearly free carpels, and 

 its woody boat-shaped follicles, it presents an exceptional appear- 

 ance among the Rosaceae. The Japanese wax -tree, Rhus sue- 

 cedanea, L., develops a more delicate foliage than the kinds grown 

 in Central Europe. Under this favourable sky the plant begins to 

 bloom in the beginning of May, while some bunches of fruit still 

 remain to show that the tree is undoubtedly the right one, being 

 exactly like the fruit exhibited by the Japanese in the Paris 



