286 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES NETTLE 



forests in some parts of tlie United States, having eatable fruit 

 about the size of a pea. 



Nettle Tree, Australian. — There are many species of arbor- 

 escent tree nettles, one of the most conspicuous being Urtica 

 gigas, a tree of New South Wales, which attains a height of 

 from 70 to 80 feet. The trunk is often swollen at the base, 

 forming buttresses many feet in diameter. It has large heart- 

 shaped leaves, the effects of which (when touched) are not easily 

 forgotten ; cattle coming in contact with them become furious. 

 The wood is porous, and even lighter than cork. U. pJiotiniphylla 

 is a large much -branched tree, native of Queensland, having 

 elliptical shining leaves w^ith scattered irritant prickles. U. 

 moroides is a thick-stemed tree w^ith small cordate leaves, native 

 of tropical Australia, a most virulent stinger. The three species 

 were introduced into Kew about sixty years ago. 



Ngai Camphor. (See Camphor.) 



Nibung, or Wibong, the Malayan name for Oncos'perma 

 filamentosa, a tall, slender, smooth-stemmed, wing-leaved palm, 

 attaininiT a heioht of 40 to 50 feet. It differs but little from 

 Areca. It is the cabbage palm of Borneo. The stems are used 

 for posts in house-building, and when split for rafters, etc. 



Nicaragua-wood, the wood of Ccesalpinia echinata. (See 

 Sappan-wood.) 



Nicker Nuts. (^See Bonduc.) 



Niger-seed Oil. (See Piamtil Oil.) 



Nightshade, Deadly (Atro^pa helladonna), sl strong-growing 

 perennial of the Potato family (Solanaceae), native of this country 

 and throughout Europe. It attains a height of about 3 feet, 

 having broad oval leaves of a lurid colour, and a heavy mawkish 

 smell, and solitary flowers of a brownish yellow, which are suc- 

 ceeded by a black berry closely seated on the wide-spreading 

 calyx ; it is about the size of a small cherry, and when ripe has 

 a glistening and enticing appearance and sweetish taste, but is 

 extremely poisonous, fatal consequences having occurred through 

 its being sold by mistake, even in the streets of London, for 

 blackberries. The whole plant is poisonous, the principle of 



