CHAPTEE XII 



OIL-YIELDING PLANTS 



OILS may in general be divided into two classes, fixed and 

 volatile oils. The former are those contained more especially 

 in seeds, where they form the greater part of the reserve store 

 made by the plant for the growth of the new plant from 

 the seed, and are consequently present in large quantity. The 

 latter are usually those oils which give their perfume to flowers, 

 leaves or other parts, and are present only in small quantity. 

 The former are generally obtained by crushing, the latter by 

 some form of distillation. 



Fixed Oils. The most important of these in the tropics 

 is probably coconut oil, which has already been sufficiently 

 considered under the head of coconuts. Enormous quantities 

 of this oil are exported from the tropics to Europe and America, 

 where it is mainly used in soap manufacture, but also for 

 hairdressing and many other purposes. Not only is the oil 

 exported, but also vast quantities of copra, from which the oil 

 is extracted in Europe. 



The next most important source of oil is probably the oil 

 palm of West Africa, Elaeis guineensis. About 70,000 tons of 

 oil and 175,000 tons of kernels are annually exported from the 

 West African coast, and until cacao rose to such importance, 

 this was by far the most important export there. 



The palm produces clusters of brown or reddish plum-like 

 fruits, which are gathered and thrown into a pit for a week or 

 so until a little decayed, when they are pounded to get rid of 

 the fibre of the husk, and then boiled in water, or sometimes 



