230 Select Plants for Industrial Culture and 



dye, also for staves as well as that of F. Australis. Tametia Argyro- 

 dendron, Stenocarpus salignus and Castanospermum Australe. Mr. 

 C. Hartmann mentions, that F. Oxleyana attains a height of 150 

 feet, and supplies one of the finest hard woods for choice cabinet- 

 work. Other species occur, among which F. Bennettiana is the 

 best for avenue-purposes. Among other meliaceous trees of East- 

 Australia are very tall : Dysoxylon Fraseri, D. Lesserti and D. 

 Muelleri (Bentham), all three yielding exquisite timber. 



Foaniculum vulgare, Miller. {F. capillaceum, Gilbert.) 



The Fennel. Mediterranean regions, particularly on limestone- 

 soil, extending to Central Asia ; certainly wild in Turkestan [Dr. 

 A. von Regel]. A perennial or biennial herb, of which primary 

 varieties occur, the so-called sweet variety having fruits almost 

 twice as large as the other. The herb and fruits are in use as 

 condiments and the latter also for medicine". The fruits are rich 

 in essential oil, containing much anethol. Vilmorin found them 

 to keep their vitality for about four years ; he also remarks, that 

 the bleached leafstalks yield Carosella-salad. A variety, F. dulce 

 (Bauhin), yields its young shoots for boiling as a vegetable of 

 sweetish taste and delicate aroma. Another variety exists with 

 tuberously enlarged roots, which raw or boiled are served up with 

 meals in Italy. Behaved admirably in Central Australia, braving, the 

 worst of droughts [Rev. H. Kempe]. Serves as sheep-fodder. 



Fourcroya Gubensis, Ventenat. 



West-Indies and continential tropical America. A smaller species 

 than the following, but equally utilised for fibre and impenetrable 

 hedges. Succeeds in Natal [J. M. Wood]. F. flavo-viridis 

 (Hooker), from Mexico, is still smaller. 



Fourcroya gigantea, Ventenat. 



Central America. In species of Yucca, Agave, Dracaena, Cordy- 

 line, Phormium, Doryanthes and this as well as a few other 

 Fourcroyas we have gigantic liliaceous and amaryllideous plants 

 available industrially for fibre. Frost injures the leaves of this species. 

 Development of flower-stalks extremely rapid, up to 30 feet high. 

 Fibre often 3 feet long and of considerable tenacity. The fibre, 

 produced in Mauritius by Messrs. Bourgignon and Fronchet, proved 

 stronger than hemp and resisted decay in water. Mr. Boucard 

 also testifies to the excellence of the fibre, which he describes as 

 long, silky and solid, particularly adapted for luxurious hammocks 

 and for cordage. This fibre is worth in London about 37 the ton. 



Fourcroya longseva, Karwinski and Zuccarini. 



High mountains of Guatemala and Mexico, particularly at an 

 elevation of about 10,000 feet. One of the most gigantic and mag- 

 nificent of all liliaceous or amaryllideous plants, in volume only 



