308 CURIOUS OR USEFUL PLANTS. 



SECTION XII. 



Talloio.Tree. 

 Croton Sebiferura. Tomcx S<?bffera. Linn. 



Wax-Tree, 

 Myrica Ccrifera. Linn. 



Most plants produce a certain portion of oil ; in some it appears 

 thin and liquid when expressed, as that of the olive and the almond; 

 in others sufficiently thick, and in sufficient abundance for common 

 tallow, as the croton sebiferum, and tomex sebifera, both of which 

 are, in consequence, denominated tallow-tree ; and the myrica gale, 

 which secretes it less freely ; while the myrica cerifera secretes a 

 still more concrete substance, of the nature of wax rather than of 

 tallow, and which is used in America, where it grows indigenously, 

 for this purpose. 



The first two are natives of China ; the former a moncecian poly- 

 andrian plant, with rhombic-ovate leaves, pointed, very entire, and 

 glabrous ; the latter a dodecandrian monogynian plant, with gla- 

 brous leaves, and corols without florets ; it is about the height of a 

 cherry tree, its leaves in form of a heart, of a deep shining red co- 

 lour, and its bark very smooth. Its fruit is inclosed in a kind of 

 pod, or cover, like a chesnut, and consists of three round white 

 grains, of the size and form of a small nut, each having its peculiar 

 capsule, and within a little stone. This stone is encompassed with a 

 white pulp which has all the properties of true tallow, both as to con- 

 sistence, colour, and even smell, and accordingly the Chinese make 

 their candles of it ; which would doubtless be as good a3 those in 

 Europe, if they knew how to purify their vegetable, as well as we 

 do our animal, tallow. All the preparation they give it, is to melt 

 it down, and mix a little oil with it, to make it softer and more 

 pliant. It is true their candles made of it yield a thicker smoke, 

 and a dimmer light than ours ; but those defects are owing in a 

 great measure to the wicks, which are not of cotton, but only a 

 little rod of dry light wood covered with the pith of a rush wound 



