102 



VARIOUS FOOD-PLANTS 



Fig. 110. — Fig (Ficus carica. Mulberry Family, Moracece). 1, flowering 

 branch, showing leaf and urn-shaped receptacle which encloses the 

 numerous minute flowers. 2, a single pistillate flower, with stalks of 

 two others growing into the cavity of the receptacle; the actual size 

 shown by tha line at the left. 3, staminate flower. ^, fruit or ripened 

 receptacle cut vertically to show the fleshy wall and the cavitj- filled 

 with ripe pistils and sugary material. (Wossidlo.) — A shrii):) or tree 

 becoming 5-10 m. tall; leaves rough above, downy beneath; fruit 

 greenish, yellowish, reddish, brown, purplish, or black, often with a 

 bloom, the flesh mostly reddish or yellowish. 



maple (Fig. 248). Beets form the chief source of the sugar 

 used throughout Europe and nearly half of that consumed in 

 the United States. 



As already stated in the last chapter (section 29) large 

 quantities of what is known commercially as "glucose" 

 (which is a honey-like syrup), are manufactured from the 

 starch of maize or Indian corn, particularly for the use of 

 confectioners. This product is chemically much the same as 

 the sweet substance found in fruits, and is perfectly whole- 

 some; it has, however, the disadvantage of being only about 

 three-fifths as sweet as cane-sugar. 



Another food-product, very much used in confectionery, 

 is what is commonl}^ called " cocoa," or when sweetened and 

 flavored, '' chocolate." This name '' cocoa" is somewhat mis- 

 leading, since it is also applied to the palm which yields the 



