360. SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE, ETC. 



Glyptostrobus heterophyllus, Endlicher. 



China. An ornamental tree, allied to Taxodium distichum in 

 some respects, and like that tree particularly fit for perma- 

 nently wet ground. The Chinese plant it along- the edges o 

 canals and narrow creeks, the buttress of the trunk standing 

 actually in the moist mud (Hance) . 



Lepironia mucronata, Cl. Richard. 



East Australia, Malayan Archipelagus, East India, South 

 China, and Madagascar. This rush is cultivated like rice in 

 China, but in poor soil, because manuring the ground would 

 impair the strength of the mats. The plant renews itself by 

 sprouts from its perennial root. It attains a height of 7 feet ; 

 the stems are beaten flat, to fit them to be woven or plaited 

 for either bed-mats, bags, and more especially mat-sails, the 

 latter being most extensively used for the junks and crafts in 

 China ; further for floor-matting, which is in vast quantities 

 also exported to the United States, to be used in summer for 

 the sake of coolness in preference to carpets (Hance) . This 

 rush thus furnishes the raw material for a vast manufacturing 

 industry. Dyeing the mats yellow is effected with the flowers 

 of Sophora Japonica under the addition of alum ; for green, with 

 an acanthaceous plant, the " Lam-yip" (Blue Leaf) , and alum 

 and sulphate of copper (Dr. Hirst). 



Michelia excelsa, Blume. 



In the Himalayas up to 7,000 feet. One of the best of timber 

 trees there. M. lanuginosa (Wallich) ascends there also to 

 temperate regions with M. Kisopa (Hamilton), M. Cathcartii 

 (Hooker and Thomson), M. Champaca (Linne), M. Punduana 

 (H. and T.), and M. Nilagirica (Zenker), all being tall trees. 



Murray a exotica, Koenig. 



South Asia, Polynesia, East and North Australia. This shrub 

 or small tree is superior to most odoriferous plants in India 

 (C. B. Clarke). 



Oreodoxa oleracea, Martius. 



West India, up to nearly 5,000 feet elevation (Jenman). One 

 of the most rapid growing of any palms. In highly manured 

 moist ground the palm cabbage, which in this species is of 

 exquisite nut-flavour, can be obtained in, two years (Jenman) . 



