62 SELECT PLANTS FOR INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



Capparis spinosa, Linne. 



The Caper-Bush. South Europe and North Africa, South Asia 

 and North Australia. A somewhat shrubby and trailing plant, 

 deserving, even for the sake of its handsome flowers, a place in any 

 garden. It sustains its life in the most arid deserts. Light frosts 

 do not destroy this plant. The flower-buds and young berries pre- 

 served in vinegar with some salt form the capers of commerce. 

 Samples of capers, prepared from plants of the Botanic Garden of 

 Melbourne, are placed in our Industrial Museum, together with 

 many other industrial products emanating from the writer's 

 laboratory. The caper-plant is propagated either from seeds or 

 suckers ; it is well able to withstand either heat or drought. The 

 buds after their first immersion into slightly salted vinegar are 

 strained and afterwards preserved in bottles with fresh vinegar. 

 Chemical principle : rutin. 



Capsicum annuum, Linne. 



Central America. An annual herb, which yields the chillies, and 

 thus also the material for cayenne pepper. Chemical principle : 

 capsicin, an acrid, soft, resinous substance. 



Capsicum baccatum, Linne. 



The Cherry Capsicum. A perennial plant. From Brazil brought 

 to tropical Africa and Asia, where now other pepper capsicums are 

 likewise naturalised. 



Capsicum frutescens, Linne. (C. fastigiatum, Blume.) 



Tropical America. The berries of this shrubby species are likewise 

 converted into cayenne pepper. 



Capsicum longum, Candolle. 



Some of the hottest parts of America. An annual herb, also yielding 

 cayenne pepper. Fraas believes this plant, as an Oriental one, to 

 have been known already to Theophrastos and Dioscorides. C. 

 grossum (Willd.) is also mentioned by Colonel Drury as a very 

 pungent species. The summers of the warm temperate zone admit 

 of the successful growth of at least the annual species of capsicum 

 in all the lowlands. C. humile binds also sands even when salty. 



Capsicum microcarpum, Candolle. 



South America. It is this species which is preferentially used in 

 Argentina. There are annual and perennial varieties. 



Caragana arborescens, Lamarck. 



The Pea-Tree of Siberia. The seeds are of culinary value, but par- 

 ticularly used for feeding fowl. The leaves yield a blue dye (Dr. 

 Rosenthal.) 



