TEAK OF ECONOMIC PLANTS. 407 



climber of the Sarsaparilla family (Smilacea^), native of Xew 

 South Wales, known as Botany Bay or Sweet Tea. 



9. Le'ptospcrmiim scoparium, a small hard- wooded tree of 

 the Myrtle family (Myrtaceae), native of New Zealand, wliere 

 it is c;illed the New Zealand Tea Tree. In Australia several 

 species of the Myrtle family, especially of the genera Lcjjto- 

 sperimim and Melaleuca, are known as tea shrubs. 



10. Bourbon [Angrcccum fragrans), a small, narrow-leaved, 

 epiphytal orchid, native of Bourbon, highly fragrant, which 

 fragrance is due to the principle called Coumarin. 



11. Brazilian {Stacliytarplm j'amaicensis), a tall, single- 

 stemmed biennial, with spikes of blue flowers, of the Verbena 

 family (Verbenacese), native of the "West Indies and many 

 parts of tropical America. In Brazil it is held in high rej)ute 

 for its medicinal virtues, and is said to be imported into Austria 

 as Brazilian Tea. 



12. Cape. — The leaves of Cyclopia genistoides, and other 

 allied species, are said to be used at the Cape of Good Hope as 

 tea. One kind is known by the name of Bush Tea. 



13. Malayan {Leptospcrmum [Glaphyria'] nitida), a shrub of 

 the ]\Iyrtle family (Myrtacese), native of the ^Malayan Islands, 

 where it is called the Tree of Long Life, and in Sumatra it is 

 used as a tea, called Bencoolen Tea. 



14. "West Indian (Capraria hiflora), a shrub of the Figwort 

 family (Scrophulariacete), said to be a native of North America, 

 but has become naturalised in the West Indies, and is called 

 West Indian Tea ; it is also known as Goat-weed. 



In political history tea has claim to fame. In 1767 a tax 

 having been imposed on tea imported into the British Colonies 

 of North America, led to war and the ultimate separation from 

 the mother country of the Colonies, now the United States. 



Tea Tree. {Sec Box Thorn.) 



Teak Tree, African {Oldfieldia africana), a large tree of 

 the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae), native of Sierra Leone, with 

 digitate leaves and a dry, three-valved, capsular IVuit. The 

 wood was introduced in 1819 for shipbuilding purposes, but 



