STORAX OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 393 



needles, which sting fearfully, and are much dreaded by the 

 natives. It causes an intense burning pain, with swelling, wliich 

 is not confined to the part stung, but sometimes spreads all over 

 the body. In 1823 a plant at Kew stung tlie writer on the 

 wrist, and in a few minutes the poison extended up the arm and 

 the upper part of the body, the lips became swollen, and of a 

 livid red ; fainting came on in less than ten minutes, on recover- 

 ing from which, the whole sensation went off as fast as it came 

 on. The general health was, however, impaired for several days. 



Stink-horn, or Stinking Polecat. — Phallus impicdicus and 

 P.fcetidus, fungi of the Lycoperdacese alliance. They have a 

 white conical pileus, 4 to 6 inches high, purple at the apex. They 

 spring up suddenly during the night from a volva. They grow 

 in damp, shady places in woods, and their place of growth is 

 readily found by the abominable stench they emit. An allied 

 species is Olathrus cancellatus, the Lattice Stink-horn. Although 

 beautiful in appearance, its odour is the most disgusting and 

 noxious of all fungi. 



Stinking Gladwyn. {See Iris.) 



Stink-wood (^Fcetidia mcmritiana), a large tree of the family 

 Barringtonace?e, native of the Mauritius, where, on account of 

 the white ants not attacking it, it is used for the foundations 

 of houses. Its wood has an unpleasant smell. For other Stink- 

 woods, see Laurel. 



Storax. — This name is generally applied to the resin of 

 Styrax officinale, a small tree of the Benzoin family (Styrace^e), 

 native of Greece, Asia Minor, and Syria ; now found also in 

 Italy and Southern France. It is only when the plant has 

 attained its full size that it seems capable of yielding the 

 fracjrant resin known as Storax ; and Fluckisjer and Hanburv in 

 their Fharma/iOfjraijhia say that in most localities where it is 

 grown " it has been reduced by ruthless lopping to a mere bush, 

 the young stems of which yield not a trace of exudation. The 

 storax has thus entirely disappeared, and genuine specimens of 

 it are scarcely to be found even in museums." The i)lant is 

 considered by some commentators to be the poplar rod of 



