104 AGRICULTURE IN THE TROPICS [PT. II 



considerable proportions. Until lately obtained entirely from 

 the wild plants of Peru, etc., the drug is now largely got from 

 the cultivated plants of Ceylon, Java and elsewhere. The 

 plant in cultivation forms a small bush, not unlike tea, and 

 the mature (not the young) leaves are picked and dried, and 

 exported. The Eastern leaf is now practically the standard of 

 the market. 



Ipecacuanha. This plant (Cephaelis Ipecacuanha) is a 

 little herbaceous plant grown in Brazil, the Federated Malay 

 States, and elsewhere. The roots form the drug, and are like 

 rows of beads. 



Jalap. The jalap plant (Ipomoea purga) is a native of 

 Mexico, occurring especially near the town of Xalapa, from 

 which it takes its name. The plant is a small climber, with 

 large tuberous roots, which when rooted up and dried form the 

 drug. 



Cubebs. The cubeb plant (Piper Cubeba) is a native of 

 Java, and is grown very like ordinary pepper. The dried fruits 

 form the drug. 



Sarsaparilla. Smilax officinalis and other species of 

 Smilax are natives of Central America, and are cultivated 

 to some extent in Jamaica. They are slender climbers, and 

 the drug consists of the cord-like roots. 



Castor-oil. This is extracted from the seeds of Ricinus 

 communis, a native of the eastern tropics, and cultivated to 

 some extent in India and elsewhere. It forms a very common 

 weed in Ceylon, the West Indies, and other countries. Its 

 cultivation is very easy, but unremunerative, experiments in 

 Ceylon having shown that only about 4 to 5 cwts. of seed per 

 acre can be looked for, the seed being worth only a few rupees 

 a hundredweight. 



