418 PHYSIOLOGY AT THE FARM. 



affords arrowroot, M. nobilis, M. Indica, M. attouyia, and 

 M. ramosissima yield the same starchy matter, the last be- 

 longing to the East Indies. 



Musacece, Banana order. Natives of the intertropical parts 

 of both the Old and the New World, the produce of the genus 

 Musa being one of the most useful kinds of fruit in the world. 

 Musa paradisiaca is a native of India ; if. sapientum, of the 

 West Indies. Three dozen plantains in the West Indies are 

 sufficient to serve one man for a week instead of bread, and 

 will support him much better. The fruit has been ripened in 

 this country for example, in the palm-house of the Edin- 

 burgh Botanical Garden annually for more than twenty years. 

 The young shoots of the species of Musa are used like cabbage. 

 Heliconia psittacorum has edible roots. Urania or Ravenalci 

 speciosa yields an edible seed. 



Iridacece, Iris order.- 1 Iris pseudacorus, the common yellow 

 flag of our ponds, has seeds which have been recommended 

 as a substitute for coffee. /. florentina gives the well-known 

 orris-root. Trichonema edule has roots eaten in Socotra. 

 The tubers or corms of various species are eaten by Hotten- 

 tots. 



Amaryllidacece, Amaryllis order. In the genus Agave the 

 flowers of some species in Mexico are boiled and used as food. 

 Alstroemeria pallida affords a kind of arrowroot. The Agave 

 Americana affords a fermentable juice largely used under the 

 name of pulque as a spirit. 



Hcemadoracece, Blood-root order. Hcemadorum : the roots 

 of some of the Swan River species are roasted and used as 

 food viz., H. panicidatum, H. spicatum, and Anigozantlius 

 floridus. 



Taccacece, Tacca order. Tacca pinatifida has tubers yield- 

 ing starch used as food, the acrid matter being first removed 

 by washing. It is sometimes called Otaheite salep, or Tahiti 



