30 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



high, with a stem attaining 10 feet in diameter. The timber 

 is useful for ship-building and many other purposes. 



Araucaria imbricata, Pavon.* 



Chili and Patagonia. The male tree attains only a height 

 of 50 feet, but the female reaches 150 feet. It furnishes a 

 hard and durable timber, as well as an abundance of edible 

 seeds, which constitute a main article of food of the natives. 

 Eighteen good trees will yield enough for a man's sustenance all 

 the year round. The wood is yellowish white, full of beautiful 

 veins, and capable of being polished and worked with facility. 

 It is admirably adapted for ship-building. The resin is pale 

 and smells like frankincense (Lawson). 



Araucaria Rulei, F. v. Mueller. 



New Caledonia. A magnificent tree with large shining foli- 

 age, doubtless not merely of decorative, but also of utilitarian 

 value. A closely-allied species, A. Muelleri (Brogniart), comes 

 with A. Balansse and A. montana from the same island. The 

 New Guinea Araucarias should also be introduced. 



Arbutus Menziesii, Pursh. 



North-West America. An evergreen tree, attaining a height 

 of 150 feet. It belongs to the coast tract exclusively. Wood 

 exceedingly hard. The tree requires a deep loamy soil (Bolan- 

 der) ; it would here be valuable at least as a highly ornamental 

 garden plant. 



Archangelica officinalis, Hoffmann. 



Arctic zone and mountain regions of Europe. The stalks are 

 used for confectionery ; the roots are of medicinal use. Only 

 in our Alps would this herb fully establish its value. The root 

 is biennial and used in the distillation of some cordials. 



Arctostaphylos uva ursi, Sprengel. 



Alpine and Arctic Europe, North Asia and North America. 

 A medicinal small shrub, which here could best be reared in 

 the heath-moors of Alpine regions. 



Arenga saccharifera, La Billardiere. 



India. This Palm attains a height of 40 feet. The black 

 fibres of the leaf -stalks adapted for cables and ropes intended 

 to resist wet very long. The juice converted into toddy or 

 sugar; the young kernels made with syrup into preserves. 

 This Palm dies as soon as it has produced its fruit ; the stem 



