THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 3 



cordage, and others supply cotton, &c. Cotton is composed of the hairs surrounding 

 the seeds of various species of yossypium. (See Figs. 10, 11, and 12). Lindley enumerates 

 37 genera, including 1,000 species. 



28. SterCllliacese, STERCULIADS. Trees or shrubs of warm climates. These plants 

 are mucilaginous and demulcent; many are used for food, and others supply a material 

 like cotton. Adansonia digitata, the Baobab tree of Senegal (Fig. 13), is one of the 

 most ancient of trees Its trunk has been found with a diameter of thirty feet, and the 

 age of some specimens is calculated at 5,000 years. The pulp of its fruit, called 

 Monkey's bread (Fig. 14), is used as an article of food. Lindley mentions 34 genera, 

 and 125 species. 



29. Byttneriacese, BYTTNERIADS. Trees, shrubs, or undershrubs, abounding in 

 tropical countries. These plants are highly mucilaginous, and many supply materials 

 for cordage. The seeds of Theobroma Cacao, or Cacao-beans (Fig. 15), furnish the 

 chief ingredient in chocolate. Lindley mentions 45 genera, and 400 species. 



30. Tiliaceae, LINDEN -BLOOMS. Trees or shrubs found chiefly in tropical countries 

 (Fig. 16). Lindley enumerates 35 genera, including 350 species. These plants possess 

 mucilaginous properties, and many supply excellent cordage material, as Jute. (Fig. 17.) 



31. Dipterocarpaceae, DIPTERADS. Gigantic trees, abounding in resinous juice, 

 found in India and the East Indian Islands. There are about 8 known genera, and 48 

 species. A kind of camphor is yielded by Dryobalanops Camphora. Indian copal, the 

 Gum animi of commerce, is procured from Valeria Indica ; this tree also yields the 

 Butter of Canara, or Pinei Tallow. 



32. Chlsenacese, CHL^NADS. Trees or shrubs found in Madagascar. Their pro- 

 perties are unknown. There are 4 genera, and 10 species. 



33. Ternstrcemiacese, THEADS, or TEAS. Trees or shrubs abounding in South 

 America, India, China, and North America. There are' 33 genera, and 130 species. 

 The most important plants of this order are those which yield Tea. The black and 

 green teas of the northern districts of China are obtained from the same species, 

 namely, that known in Britain as the Thea viridis, while the black and green teas from 

 the Canton district are made from the variety known as Thea Bohea (Fig. 18). 



34. Olacaceae, OLACADS. Trees or shrubs, chiefly tropical or sub-tropical. Little is 

 known of their properties. Balfour gives 24 genera, and 53 species. 



35. Alirantiacese, CITRONWORTS. Trees or shrubs, remarkable for their beauty. 

 They abound in the East Indies, and are found in other warm regions. There are 20 

 genera, and 95 species. The plants of this order secrete a fragrant bitter and volatile 

 oil, and the fruit has a more or less acid pulp. The orange, lemon, citron, shaddock, 

 and lime belong to this order. (Figs. 19, 20, 21.) 



36. HypericaceaB, TUTSANS. Herbaceous plants, shrubs, or trees. They are dis- 

 tributed generally over the globe, being found in elevated and low, dry and damp 

 situations. They yield a resinous juice having purgative properties. There are, 

 according to Lindley, 13 known genera, and 276 species. 



37. Guttiferse, GUTTIFERS. Trees or shrubs, sometimes parasitical, and natives of 

 tropical regions, especially of South America. Lindley enumerates 30 genera, com- 

 prising 150 species. These plants yield a yellow resinous juice, which is acrid and 

 purgative. Gamboge, employed medicinally and as a pigment, and the Mangos- 

 teen, a fruit of the Spice Islands, are produced by plants of this order. (Figs. 22 

 and 23.) 



38. Marcgraviacese, MARGRAVIADS. Trees or shrubs, sometimes climbing 1 , occurring 

 chiefly in the warm parts of America. Their properties are unimportant. There are 

 4 genera, and 26 species. 



39. Hippocrateacese, HIPPOCRATEADS. Arborescent or climbing shrubs. Found 

 principally in South America, while a few are natives of Africa and the East Indies. 

 The fruit of some is edible. Lindley gives 6 genera, including 86 species. 



40. Erythroxylacese, ERYTHROXYLS. Shrubs or trees, found chiefly in the West 

 Indies and South America. Their qualities are tonic, purgative, and narcotic; some 

 yield a reddish-brown dye. There are 3 genera, and 80 species. 



41. Malpighiacese, MALPIGHIADS. Trees or shrubs, of tropical countries chiefly, 

 a great number of them being found in South America. Lindley mentions 42 genera, 

 comprising 555 species. Many of these plants are astringent, and some have stinging 

 hairs. 



42. Aceraceae, MAPLES. Trees, which are confined chiefly to the temperate parts 

 of the globe. They yield a saccharine sap, from which sugar is sometimes manu- 

 factured (Fig. 24). There are three genera, and 60 species. 



43. Sapindacese, SOAPWORTS. Trees or shrubs, and sometimes climbing herbaceous 

 plants. They are natives principally of South America and India. Lindley notices 

 50 genera, and 380 species. In this order are included the Horse-chesnuts (Fig. 25). 



B 2 



