EBONY OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 161 



Scotland Lousy-ar-nuts, so called on the supposition that eating 

 them breeds lice. 



Earth Pea, or Ground Nut (Arachis hypogcea). It ia an 

 annual clover-like plant belonging to the family Leguminosoe, 

 attaining a height of 2 feet. It is supposed to have been 

 originally a native of America, but is now cultivated in most 

 warm countries. It is curious for its seed-pod being perfected 

 under ground. It is about 2 inches long, and contains two or 

 three pea-lilvc seeds of an earthy flavour, extensively used as 

 food by the negroes. They contain an oil, and are imported in 

 large quantities into this country, and the oil expressed by crush- 

 ing is very sweet, and is largely used for adulterating olive oil. 

 An allied plant, Voandzeia suhterranea, is a decumbent annual, 

 also extensively cultivated as an article of food in Western and 

 South Africa, and has become naturalised in the warm parts of 

 America. 



Eau-de-Cologne. {See Eosemary.) 



Ebony. — This is furnished by several species of Diospijros, a 

 genus of the Ebony family (Ebenaceae) — Ceylon Ebony by D, 

 Ehenum; Indian Ebony by D. Ehenaster and D. melanoxylon ; and 

 Mauritius Ebony by D. reticulata. They are large but slow- 

 growing trees, with firm, dark-coloured, simple leaves. By age 

 the interior of the wood becomes hard and black, and is the 

 Ebony of commerce ; the exterior remaining white and spongy. 

 Ebony is mentioned in the Bible as an article of merchandise,, 

 obtained probably from Ceylon. 



Ebony, Jamaica or West Indian {Brya Ehenus), a slender 

 tree of the Bean family (Leguminosae), attaining a height of 

 30 feet or more, having slender spiny branches and winged 

 leaves. It is a native of Jamaica, and has hard wood of a 

 greenish-brown colour, which takes a good polish. It is some- 

 times called Green Ebony, and is also known by the name of 

 Cocus Wood. In an article in the journal of the Linnsean 

 Society in 1857 it is stated that a turner by the name of Ford 

 was employed by Government to turn some thousands of round 

 rulers of this wood, and that it made his hand become green,. 



M 



