130 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



a palatable and very nutritious food. A calcareous soil is essential for 

 the prolific growth of this plant. The leafy stalks, after the removal 

 of the seeds, remain a good stable-fodder. The variety called the 

 Winter-Lentil is more prolific than the Summer-Lentil. Valuable as 

 honey-yielding for bees. Seeds will retain their vitality for about 

 four years (Vilmorin). The " Revalenta Arabica " consists mainly of 

 lentil-flour. 



Eryngium maritimum, Linne". 



Europe, North- Africa, South- Western Asia. This perennial herb 

 deserves dissemination on sandy oceanic shores. Root of medicinal 

 value. Young shoots serve as a substitute for asparagus (Dr. Rosen- 

 thai), so those of E. campestre (Linne), a plant of similar geographic 

 range. 



-Eryngium pandanifolium, Chamisso. 



South-Brazil, Paraguay, Misiones and Chaco. This or an allied 

 species, called " Caraguata " with bromeliaceous habit, yields there 

 textile fibre, which is long and silky (Kew Report, 1877, p. 37 j 

 Gard. Chron., 1882, p. 431, E. H. Egerton). 



.Erythroxylon Coca, Lamarck.* 



Peru and Eastern Bolivia. This shrub is famed for the extraor- 

 dinary stimulating property of its leaves, which pass under the names 

 of Spadic and Coca. They contain two alkaloids, cocain and hygrin ; 

 also a peculiar tannic acid. The cocain has become of great import- 

 ance in medicine, as a topical anaesthetic, particularly in ophthalmic 

 surgery. In the native country of the plant its leaves have for ages 

 been in use to prepare from them an infusion for allaying local 

 pain. An enormous quantity is annually collected and sold. The 

 Peruvians mix the leaves with the forage of mules, to increase their 

 power of enduring fatigue. Whether any of the many other species 

 of Erythroxylon possesses similar properties, seems never yet to have 

 flbeen ascertained. 



Eucalyptus Abergiana, F. v. Mueller. 



Northern Queensland. A stately tree with unusually spreading 

 branches of dense foliage. The quality of its timber has remained 

 hitherto unknown, but the species will probably prove one of the 

 most suitable among its congeners for tropical countries. 



JEucalyptus amygdalina, La Billardiere.* 



South-Eastern Australia. Vernacularly known as Brown and 

 White Peppermint-tree, Giant-G-umtree, and as one of the Swamp- 

 Gumtrees. In sheltered springy forest-glens attaining exceptionally 

 to a height of over 400 feet, there forming a smooth stem and broad 

 leaves, producing also seedlings of a foliage different from the ordi- 

 nary form of E. amygdalina, which occurs in more open country, and 

 has small narrow leaves and a rough brownish bark. The former 

 species or variety, which might be called Eucalyptus regnans, repre- 





