484 BOTANY. 



P. Cubeba, whose dried unripe berries are known in pharmacy as 

 Cubebs, is a native of the East Indies. 



P. Betle, of the East Indies, is the Betel Pepper, whose bitter aro- 

 matic leaves are mixed with Areca-nut and lime to form a masticatory. 

 (See Betel Palm, p. 466.) 



From the thick rhizome of P. methysticum the inhabitants of many 

 of the Pacific islands make a disgusting driuk which is very intoxica- 

 ting. 



574. Cohort VI. Euphorbiales. Plants with mostly 

 diclinous flowers, with a superior two to many-celled ovary ; 

 seeds containing endosperm. 



Order Lacistemacese. Shrubs of tropical America. 



Order Geissolcmeae, containing a single shrub, of Southwestern 

 Africa. 



Order Penaeaceae. Evergreen shrubs of South Africa. 



Order Euphorbiacese. The Spurge Family. This vast group of 

 upwards of 3000 species can not be defined by anyone character. They 

 may generally be distinguished by their three-celled ovaries and milky 

 juice, although neither of these characters is universal throughout the 

 order. The species range in size from small herbs to gigantic trees, 

 and are distributed throughout all climates except beyond the Arctic 

 Circle. They are much more abundant, however, in tropical countries 

 than elsewhere. With few exceptions they possess an acrid principle, 

 which, is often poisonous. 



Many of the species are of economic importance, a few of which only 

 can be mentioned here. 



Manihot palmata and M. utilissima, slender plants of tropical Amer- 

 ica, and now cultivated in many tropical countries, have thick starchy 

 roots. The starch, separated and washed, is imported under the name 

 of Brazilian Arrowroot. Tapioca is prepared by heating the separated 

 and washed starch upon hot plates. Cassava is made from the crushed 

 roots by drying the pulp without separating the starch. These three 

 substances are highly nutritious, and are much used as food by the 

 natives, and are, moreover, largely imported into this country. Their 

 value is all the more remarkable from the fact that the root of the 

 second named species above is in its raw state deadly poisonous. 



Rieinvs communis, the Castor Oil plant, a native of India, is now 

 widely grown for its oily seeds, from which Castor Oil is obtained by 

 pressure. It is extensively grown in the Mississippi Valley. In Ger- 

 many it is grown for its leaves, which are fed to silkworms. It is a 

 beautiful ornamental plant, and when grown for this purpose is called 

 the Palma Christa. 



Croton Oil from Croton Tiglium, and Pinhoen Oil from Jatropha Cur- 

 cas, are drastic medicines. Gum Euphorbium, the dried milky juice 



