IN EXTRA-TROPICAL COUNTRIES. 317 



Sesbania -ZEgyptiaca, Persoon. 



Africa, South Asia, North Australia. The foliage of this tall 

 perennial herb and of the allied annual S. brachycarpa (F. v. M.) 

 serves as fodder, which cattle are ravenously fond of. According 

 to Mr. T. Gulliver, the green pods, as well as the seeds, are 

 nutritious, wholesome, and of pleasant taste. Roxburgh mentions 

 the leaves and young pods of S. grandiflora as excellent for 

 spinach. 



Sesbania cannabina, Persoon. 



South Asia. An annual herb of easy growth in wet localities, 

 requiring less attention in weeding and otherwise than the Jute 

 plant. The crop for fibre ripens in about five months. 



Sesleria coerulea, Arduino.* 



Most parts of Europe. Of this perennial grass Lengethal observes 

 that it is for dry and loose limestone what Elymus arenarius is for 

 loose sand. It stands well despasturing by sheep, and is one of the 

 the earliest grasses of the season. S. dactyloides, Nuttall (Buchloa 

 dactyloides, Torrey), is the Buffalo Grass of Kansas. 



Sesuvium Portulacastrum, Linne. 



All round the globe on the shores of tropical and sub-tropical 

 countries, occurring naturally as far south as Port Jackson. A 

 perennial creeping herb, fit to fix the sandy silt on the edges of sea- 

 coasts. 



Shepherdia argentea, Nuttall. 



The Buffalo Berry. From the Missouri to Hudson's Bay. This 

 bush bears red, acidulous, edible berries. 



Shorea robusta, Gaertner. 



The Sal-tree. India, up to 3,000 feet. It attains as a maximum 

 a height of 150 feet and a girth of 25 feet. One of the most 

 famed of Indian timber trees. Drs. Stewart and Brandis found it 

 on sandstone, conglomerate, gravelly and shingly ground, where 

 loose water-transmitting soils are mixed with a large portion of 

 vegetable mould. The climatic conditions within a Sal area may 

 be expressed as mean annual rainfall, 40 to 100 inches ; mean 

 temperature, in the cool season 55 to 77, in the hot season 77 to 

 85 F. Sal will stand the occasional sinking of the temperature 

 below freezing point. The heart-wood is dark brown, coarse- 

 grained, hard, very heavy, strong, tough, with fibrous cross-structure, 

 the fibres interlaced. For buildings, river-boats and railway- 

 sleepers it is the most important timber of North India. It 

 exudes a pale, aromatic, dammar-like resin. The Tussa silkworm 

 derives food from this tree. 



