CLEARING OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 119 



like branches and alternate, oblong, elliptical, smooth, entire 

 leaves, with longitudinal veins running from the base to the 

 apex ; flowers inconspicuous ; fruit a small berry. The Cinnamon 

 is a native of Ceylon, India, Malacca, and islands of the Malayan 

 Archipelago generally. By making longitudinal incisions the 

 bark readily separates from the branches, and rolls up in the 

 form of a pipe about the size of the finger, and of various lengths, 

 and when scraped and dried is of a brown colour, and is the 

 Cinnamon of commerce, which is of different qualities accord- 

 ing to the countries from whence it comes. The best is 

 cultivated in Ceylon. The Cinnamon tree is known under a 

 great number of varieties, producing Cinnamon of varying 

 qualities. The bark of C. Cassia, known as Cassia or Cassia 

 lignea, is thicker and stronger in flavour, and is much used 

 to adulterate genuine Cinnamon ; this species also furnishes 

 some of the Cassia buds, which consist of the unexpanded 

 flower-buds. Cinnamon is chiefly used as a condiment, and for 

 flavouring confectionery. 



Citron {Citrus medico), a thorny, much-branched, small tree 

 of the Orange family (Aurantiacese), attaining a height of 8 

 to 10 feet ; it has shining laurel-like leaves of a pale -green 

 colour, and sweet-smelling white flowers ; the fruit is oblong, 5 

 to 6 inches in length, with a rough yellow rind ; the pulp is white 

 and edible, very acid, but pleasant prepared as a sweetmeat ; 

 of one kind a conserve is made. The oil called Citron or 

 Cedrat Oil is obtained from the rind of the fruit. It takes the 

 name meclica from the country of the Medes, where it is de- 

 scribed by Theophrastus as having been cultivated more than 

 three hundred years before the Christian era. It appears to 

 have been grown by the Jews in Palestine after their return 

 from the Babylonian captivity, the fruit being used in the cere- 

 monies of the Feast of Tabernacles, and it continues to be so 

 used at the present day. According to Pliny, it was known in 

 Eome in his time. 



Citronella. {See Lemon Grass.) 



Clearing Nut, a name given in India to the seeds of Strycluios 



