2 o8 URTICACE^:. [CLASS 



(allied to the C hurras of Hemp), which is used to impart 

 flavour and a preserving quality to beer. 



Other important exotic species belonging to Urticaceae 

 in its widest sense are : 



Mulberry (Morus nigra and M. alba\ the leaves of 

 which furnish the food of the silkworm. It is grown 

 extensively both in the South of Europe and in Asia. 

 The fruit ought to be carefully examined. Although 

 resembling a cluster of drupels when ripe, as in Black- 

 berry, it is an aggregation of several fruits, as explained 

 previously (page 85). 



FIG. 150. Longitudi- 

 nal section of achene 

 FIG. 148. Collective FIG. 149. Pistillate and albuminous seed 



fruit of Mulberry. flower of Fig. of Fig. 



The Paper Mulberry (Broussonetia papyriferd) fur- 

 nishes to the Polynesian Islanders the useful Tapa cloth, 

 which is fabricated from its fibrous bark by beating and 

 scraping. The cloth is stamped with patterns in various 

 colours. 



The Fig (Ficus Carica), the familiar fruit of which is 

 described at page 86. Some Eastern species afford 

 India-rubber, as F. elastica. F. indica is the celebrated 

 Banyan tree, remarkable for the enormous extension of 

 its crown by means of adventitious roots which are 

 thrown down from the boughs. A single tree may thus 

 cover many acres. 



Bread-fruit, the staple food of the South Sea Islanders, 

 is yielded by Artocarpus incisa. 



