436 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES WATER 



mis Citrullus), a trailing annual of the Gourd family (Cucur- 

 bitacese), grown extensively in warm countries for the sake of its 

 cool refreshing fruit. It is not much cultivated in this country, 

 but may sometimes be seen in fruit shops, being imported from 

 Spain and Portugal. It is supposed to be the melon of Egypt, 

 the loss of which the Israelites regretted. 



Water Parsnip (Sium latifolium), an aquatic perennial of 

 the Carrot family (Umbelliferte), having a stem about a foot in 

 height furnished with winged leaves, and bearing its flowers in 

 umbels. It is, like other water Umbelliferte, highly poisonous. 



Water Tree of Sierra Leone {Tetracera alnifolict), a climb- 

 ing shrub of the family Dilleniaceie ; it is called the Water 

 Tree on account of its stems being full of water, which issues 

 from it on its being cut. 



Wattles, a name given in Australia to Acacia floribuncla, 

 A. decuii'cns, A. clcalhata, A. melcmoxijlon, A. ciffinis, and others. 

 They are middle-sized trees, having hard wood, especially that of 

 A. melcmoxylon, called Black-wood, which takes a fine polish. 

 They are also of high commercial importance for their bark, 

 which is astringent, and of late years has formed one of the 

 principal parts of ships' cargoes to tliis country. To such an 

 extent has the demand for this bark for tanning increased that 

 whole districts of Acacia forests are fast disappearing in Australia. 



Wax Palm. — There are two so called : 1. Copernicia cerifera, 

 a fan palm native of Brazil, its cylindrical stem rising to a 

 height of about 40 feet and measurinf;^ a foot in diameter, 

 curiously studded its whole length with the permanent base foot- 

 stalk of the leaves in the form of knobs. The wood is very hard, 

 and is imported into this country for cabinet-work. Its young 

 leaves are covered with a waxy secretion, which is obtained by 

 shaking and beating them ; it is imported into this country for 

 making candles. 



2. Ceroxylon anclicola, a tall wing-leaved palm, native of 

 the elevated regions of New Grenada. The whole of the stem 

 and leaves is covered with a ^^'hitish waxy substance, which 

 is collected from the stem by scraping ; it is principally used 



