310. SWIETENIA MAHAGONI MAHOGONY. 1 9 



high polish and of a rich reddish brown color, darkening with age, 

 and thin pinkish white sap-wood. Specific Gravity, 0.7282 ; Percentage 

 of Ash, 1.09; Relative Approximate Fuel Value, 0.7203; Coefficient 

 of Elasticity, 106272 ; Modulus of Rupture, 1003 ; Resistance to Longi- 

 tudinal Pressure, 666; Resistance to Indentation, 309; Weight of a 

 Cubic Foot in Pounds, 45.38. 



USES. The most highly prized of all woods for cabinet making, 

 interior finishing, furniture, etc., and formerly -extensively used, espe- 

 cially the curved trunks and large branches as one of the most valu- 

 able timbers for the knees of vessels, for boat building, etc. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. The bark is bitter and astringent and 

 has been used as a remedy in intermittent fevers.* 



ORDER EUPHORBIACE^: SPURGE FAMILY. 



Leaves various, alternate, opposite, verticillate, reduced to scales, or wanting; 

 stipules present or wanting. Flowers monoecious or dioecious, regular, and some- 

 times subtended by an involucre of petal-like bracts; calyx 3-6-lobed or parted, 

 with divisions imbricated in the bud, or wanting; petals of the same number as 

 the calyx-lobes or wanting; stamens from 2 or 3 to twice as many as the lobes 

 of. the calyx, with distinct or united filaments ; pistil with usually 3-celled ovary 

 having I or 2 suspended anatropous ovules in each cell. Fruit a drupe or 3-lobed 

 capsule ; seed with fleshy or oily albumen, straight embryo and broad cotyledons. 



A family of trees, shrubs and herbs of some 4,000 species, grouped 

 in about 200 genera and of world-wide 1 distribution in temperate and 

 tropical regions. They are all characterized by more or less 

 acrid and sometimes poisonous milky juice, and among its representa- 

 tives are several of great economic value, especially the trees of the 

 genus Hevea of South America, producing the Para rubber. Several 

 are of high ornamental or medicinal value. Three of the genera 

 contain native trees, and on'e genus naturalized trees in southern 

 Florida. 



GENUS DRYPETES Vahl. 



Leaves persistent, alternate, petiolate, pinnately veined, leathery and with 

 small caducous stipules. Floivers dioecious, axillary, short pedicellate or sessile, 

 the staminate in close clusters and the pistillate solitary or few together ; calyx 

 deeply 4-5-lobed, imbricated in the bud ; petals none ; stamens as many or twice 

 as many as the lobes of the calyx and inserted under the edge of a flat disk, 

 with distinct filiform filaments and ovate 2-celled anthers opening lengthwise ; 

 pistil sessile, with ovoid usually i-celled ovary, with very short style if any and a 

 flat or 2-lobed stigma ; ovules 2, pendent. Fruit a subglobose or oblong drupe 

 with fleshy pulp and hard pit ; seed with erect embryo and thin fleshy albumen. 



*U. S. Dispensatory, igth Ed., p. 1665. 



