IMA^IMOTH OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 261 



the Indian Ocean, and lias become naturalised in the "West 

 Indian Islands. Its leaves consist of two lobes, joined like the 

 preceding. Its flowers are showy, of a rosy wliite, and produced 

 in twos on a short stalk. The wood is of a dark colour, and 

 is sometimes called Ebony. In India its bark is used medi- 

 cinally, and also for tanning leather. 



Malt, barley grains moistened to make them sprout, which 

 at a certain point is suddenly checked by tossing the grains 

 with shovels on heated floors till dry ; the grain is then sweet, 

 the sprouting having set free the sugar ; the malt then undergoes 

 certain processes for making ale, beer, porter, gin, and whisky. 



Mammee Apple {Mammea americana), a tree of the Gamboge 

 family (Guttifer?e), native of the West Indies and tropical 

 America. It attains a height of 60 to 70 feet, and has a 

 spreading head, with broad, ovate, oblong, firm, smooth, shining 

 leaves. The fruit is of an angular form, the size of a small 

 melon or cocoa-nut. It has two rinds — the outer leathery; 

 and inner thin, yellow, adhering closely to the flesh, which is 

 firm, bright yellow, has a singularly pleasant taste, and a sweet 

 aromatic smell. It is, however, variously thought of. Some 

 consider it of a soapy flavour, others that it tastes like molasses, 

 with a slight flavour of tar. It is more agreeable to the palate 

 of the natives than to Euroj^eans. It contains one to four large 

 seeds, from which an oil is expressed, used by the Indians as a 

 hair oil. The tree on being wounded yields a thick yellow 

 gum. It is also used by the Indians and negroes as a cure for 

 the itch, and to prevent the chigoes from attacking their feet. 

 The bark is a powerful astringent, even poisonous, and a decoc- 

 tion of it is used for the same purposes. 



Mammoth Tree (Sequoia gigantea), more generally known as 

 Wellingtonia gigantea, a tree of the Coniferae family. This was 

 supposed by some authors to be a distinct genus from Sequoia, 

 and on account of its large size English botanists named it after 

 the great warrior the Duke of Wellington, thus giving it the 

 name of Wellingtonia gigantea. Careful examination has, how- 

 ever, shown me that it is in no way distinct as a genus from 



