30 



THE BANYAN TREK. 



-as from the cow-tree (Palo de Vacca] of Ceylon, or the hya-hya tree, of British 

 Guiana, which yields refreshing juices-the plant droops and dies. 



The similarity between this structure and the blood-vessels of animals is weU 

 seen in diagrams, Figs. 73 and 74, which represent, side by side, the capillaries or 

 smaller blood-vessels in the frog's foot, with the contained blood highly magnified, and 

 the lacticiferous tissue, with its contents. 



The undulatory or pulsatory motion of the contents of the tissue may be well seen 

 in the Limnocharis Hamboldtii, a water-plant found in hot-houses (Fig. 74), if a portion 

 be cut off, and exposed to the sun for a short time, and subsequently placed in water. 

 The exposure to the sun causes so much evaporation as to greatly lessen the quantity 

 of fluid in the vessels ; and the subsequent immersion in water enables the plant 



Fig. 75. The BANYAN TREE (Ficus rdigiosa), showing its original trunks, and the branches which 

 have passed down to the ground and taken root, and have become new centres of growth and 

 nourishment. This troe is so large that a regiment of soldiers may take refuge in its shade. 



to supply its wants, and to pump, so to speak, vigorously. This diagram is also illustra- 

 tive of the opinion formed by certain authors as to the relations of this tissue viz., 

 that it is very analogous to mere inter-cellular passages. In this view, it is not a 

 distinct tissue, although it may have special functions. 



The latex, or milky fluid, is of immense service .to man, in two ways more parti- 

 cularly : 



First As already intimated, it constitutes refreshing beverages, readily obtained, 

 and in large quantities, to travellers in the sunny climes of Asia. Such are the cow- 

 tree of South America, the kiriaghuma (Gymneuralactiferum), and hya-hya (Jabernce- 

 mantana utilvi] before-mentioned, and also the Euphorbia balsamifera, of the Canary 



