DATE OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 151 



Darnel (Lolium tcmulentum), an annual grass, native of 

 this country and Europe generally, and countries of the East. 

 It is a troublesome weed in corn-fields, its ears being similar to 

 rye. It is one of the few poisonous grasses, and if ground with 

 true corn is highly deleterious to those who eat the bread made 

 of it. It is considered to be the tares among the wheat, men- 

 tioned in the New Testament. 



Date Palm {Pho&nix dactylifera), a wing - leaved palm, 

 attaining a height of 50 or more feet. It is a native of North 

 Africa, Egypt, Syria, and Arabia, and has become naturalised 

 in Spain and other parts of Southern Europe. It may truly be 

 called the " Palm of the Desert," occupying the fertile spots 

 called Oases. Its fruits are produced in bunches of twenty, 

 thirty, or more. They contain a great quantity of sugar, and are 

 highly nutritious, forming an important article of food to millions 

 of people. The hard kernels of the fruit are ground, and serve as 

 food for camels and other domestic animals. Date stones have 

 recently been brought to notice as a substitute for coffee, and 

 are now roasted and sold in large quantities under the name of 

 Date Coffee. Dates form an important article of trade to this 

 country, chiefly from the North African ports. 



Date Plum, American, also called Persimmon {Diospyros 

 virginiana), a tree belonging to the Ebony family (Ebenacese), 

 native of the United States. It attains a height of 50 or 60 feet, 

 and has a rough, hard bark, and unisexual or bisexual flowers. 

 The fruit is nearly round, about an inch in diameter, and of a 

 yellowish orange colour ; it is very austere, but after being frosted 

 is edible. These fruits are pounded and made into cakes, from 

 which a kind of beer is prepared, and a spirit is obtained by 

 fermentation and distillation. The tree is rare in this country. 

 One, 40 feet high and 100 years old, may be seen at Kew, which 

 in some seasons produces fruit. 



Date Plum, Chinese {Biospyros Kahi), a tree, native of 

 China and Japan, where, as well as in India, it is cultivated for 

 the sake of its fruit, which is about the size of a small apple ; it 

 is said to be delicious, and is made into a preserve. It has 



