ORDER CA.CTACE;E. 35 



rays rather obscure, very durable in contact with sea water and diffi- 

 cult to split owing to an interbraiding of the fibers. It is of a -grayish- 

 brown color, with lighter sap-wood. 



USES. The wood is little used in this country, save for fuel, for 

 which it is excellent. This fact, together with the rapidity of growth 

 of the tree, make it pre-eminently the fuel tree for the regions in 

 which it thrives best, and which happen often to be regions most 

 poorly supplied with native trees; hence, most in need of it. In its 

 native land the wood of the Blue Gum is highly prized for various 

 construction purposes. The value of the tree for ornamental plant- 

 ing, and especially for wind-breaks, is of great importance, and it has 

 been found of hygienic value for planting in malarial regions, the 

 miasma being counteracted by its presence. So strongly is this 

 attribute appreciated in Southern Europe, where it is extensively 

 planted for reclaiming malarious marsh-lands, that it is known there 

 as the Fever-tree. Its presence greatly diminishes the number of 

 cases of fever and ague. 



A decoction of the leaves is used to cut the rust in steam boilers. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. A volatile oil is extracted from the fresh 

 leaves by distillation and this applied locally acts as a powerful irri- 

 tant. Taken internally, it is a stimulating narcotic and has been used 

 with asserted success in migraine and other forms of neuralgia. As 

 an antispasmodic it has been highly lauded in asthma, for which affec- 

 tion it is best given by inhalation. Cigarettes made of the dry leaves 

 are sometimes smoked or the vapor from boiling water containing the 

 oil is inhaled for the same affection. It is often employed to advantage 

 in bronchitis. It is claimed also to have superior antiseptic proper- 

 ties; hence its usefulness applied externally with chronic skin affec- 

 tions and ulcerations where a stimulant antiseptic application is 

 indicated.* 



ORDER CACTACES1 : CACTUS FAMILY. 



Leaves generally wanting, sometimes minute and deciduous (rarely perfect, 

 flat, and petiolate); stems green, fleshy, covered with tubercles, cylindrical, flat, 

 or variously angled, channelled or winged, elongated, simple or branched or glo- 

 bose, with thick usually green bark and loose cellular tissue, without stipules, 

 usually furnished with "remarkable spines springing in fascicles from ariolae in 

 the axils of leaves or absent leaves. Flowers perfect, usually solitary, often 

 large and showy, ephemeral; sepals numerous, the inner petal-like, united below 

 for considerable length into a tube adnate to the ovary; petals delicate, in two 

 or more rows united below with the sepals; stamens numerous in several rows, 

 with long filiform filaments and introrse two-celled longitudinally dehiscent 

 anthers; ovary inferior, one-celled with parietal placentae and numerous anatro- 

 pous ovules; 'style simple, elongated and stigmas as many as the placentae. 



* U. 8. Dispensatory, 17th ed., p. 516-517. 



