144 USES OF PLANTS. 



from India, which is now cultivated in all warm regions in the 

 world. The species of fecula, known under the name of cassava 

 or tapioca, of which great use is made in the West Indies, is 

 derived from the root of the manioc, a plant of the family of 

 Euphorbia'cese, which also contains a very poisonous juice that 

 is separated by means of water. Sago is another species of 

 fecula obtained from the stem of a palm, and salep is also a fecula 

 obtained from the stem of a monocotyle'donous plant of the family 

 of Orchi'dese. 



The most esteemed of our fruits, the majority of them at least, 

 are furnished by the family of Rosa'cese : for example, apples, 

 pears, plums, cherries, peaches, apricots, strawberries, raspber- 

 ries ; and to complete the list of fruit trees we must not omit the 

 mention of some species of the family of Ampeli'dese, and the 

 family of Aurantia'cese ; namely, the vine, the orange, and 

 citron. 



Plants furnish us not only with wholesome and agreeable food, 

 but also substances which are of the greatest utility in the manu- 

 facture of clothing, and in the construction of our dwellings. 

 Hemp, flax, and cotton, yield us long, flexible filaments, which 

 constitute excellent materials for spinning and weaving ; and our 

 forest trees, almost all of which belong to the family of Cupuli'- 

 ferse, or that of the Coni'ferse, furnish abundance of wood for 

 building our houses and ships, as well as for the manufacture of 

 furniture, and instruments of various kinds. 



Ornamental plants which decorate our gardens and con- 

 servatories are very numerous ; they are furnished by very 

 various families, in the front rank of which we may place the 

 rosa'cese, because it has for its type one of our most beautiful 

 flowers, the rose. Many species and varieties of rose trees are 

 known, and almost all of them may be cultivated in the open air, 

 in our climate; they flourish best in a light soil and partial expo- 

 sure to the sun. In the wild state, they have but five petals, in 

 the midst of which we observe a great number of stamens ; but 

 cultivation has transformed most of these latter organs into petals, 

 and enhanced the beauty of the flowers. 



The dahlia, which was for some years so rare, but now every- 

 where met in gardens, belongs to the family of Synanthe'rese; 

 this beautiful herbaceous plant has a perennial root composed of 

 bundles of horizontal, oblong tubercles, from which rises a cylin- 

 drical, branching stem, bearing opposite leaves and large flowers, 

 which appear from the end of July till the approach of frost. 

 The dahlia may be multiplied by its seeds, or by the division of 

 its roots. 



The genus aster, which comprises a great number of beautiful 

 autumnal flowers, including the Queen Margaret, which was im- 



