98 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



Capparis spinosa, Linne. 



The Caper-Bush. Southern Europe and Northern Africa, Southern 

 Asia and Northern Australia. A somewhat shrubby and trailing 

 plant, deserving already for the sake of its handsome flowers a place 

 in any garden. It sustains its life even in arid deserts. Light 

 frosts do not destroy this plant ; the soil requisite for greatest pro- 

 ductiveness should be of calcareous clay. The flower-buds and 

 young berries, preserved in vinegar with some salt, form the capers 

 of commerce. Samples of capers, prepared from plants of the 

 Botanic Garden of Melbourne, were placed already twenty years 

 ago in our Industrial Museum, together with many other products, 

 emanating from the writer's laboratory. The Caper-plant is pro- 

 pagated either from seeds or suckers or cuttings ; it is well able to 

 withstand either heat or drought. The buds, after their first 

 immersion in slightly salted vinegar, are strained and afterwards 

 preserved in bottles with fresh vinegar. In sheltered plains of 

 Provence annually about 1,760,000 Ibs., worth at an average 7d. 

 per pound, are collected. The shrub comes into full bearing at the 

 fifth year, the harvests continuing well for many years afterwards 

 [Masters]. Chemical principle : Rutin. 



Capsicum annuum, Linne. 



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

 thus also the material for cayenne-pepper. The fruits of the large 

 carnulent variety are consumed like those of the egg-plant. Chemi- 

 cal principle: the acrid, soft-resinous capsicin. Comes to seeding in 

 Christiania still. The seeds will keep for several years. 



Capsicum baccatum, Linne. 



The Cherry-Capsicum. A perennial plant. Brought from Brazil 

 to tropical Africa and Asia, where other pepper-capsicums are like- 

 wise naturalised. 



Capsicum frutescens, Linne. 



Tropical South- America. The berries of this shrubby species are 

 likewise converted into cayenne -pepper. 



Capsicum grossum, Linne". 



Tropical America. This species is also occasionally cultivated. 

 The summers of the warm temperate zone admit of the successful 

 growth of at least the annual species of Capsicum in all the low- 

 lands. C. humile binds sand even when brackish. 



Capsicum microcarpum, Cavanilles. 



South- America. It is this species, which is used by preference in 

 Argentina. There are annual and perennial varieties. 



