Ximenia. MELIACE.E. — 0LACINE2E. H 



30. Amyris sylvatica, Jacq. 

 Torch-wood. 



Semi-tropical Florida, — Mosquito Inlet to the southern keys ; in the 

 West Indies. 



A small tree, sometimes 7 metres in height, with a trunk 0.20 to 0.25 

 metre in diameter ; common. 



Wood very heavy, exceedingly hard and strong, close-grained, com- 

 pact, resinous, exceedingly durable, susceptible of a beautiful polish ; 

 medullary rays obscure ; color light orange, the sap-wood lighter. 



MELIACEuE. 



31. Swietenia Mahogoni, L. 

 Mahogany. Madeira. 



Southern keys of semi-tropical Florida ; rare ; in the West Indies and 

 Central America. 



A large tree, on the Florida keys rarely exceeding 15 metres in 

 height, with a trunk sometimes 0.90 metre in diameter. 



Wood heavy, exceedingly hard, very strong, brittle, very close-grained, 

 compact, very durable, susceptible of a high polish ; medullary rays nu- 

 merous, obscure ; color rich reddish-brown, turning darker with age, the 

 thin sap-wood yellow ; varying greatly in quality in different regions ; 

 largely used and preferred to all other woods for cabinet^making of all 

 sorts, interior finish, etc. ; formerly somewhat employed in ship-building. 



OLACINEJE. 



32. Ximenia Americana, L. 



Wild Lime. Tallow Nut. Hog Plum. Mountain Plum. 



Florida, — east coast Saint John's River to the southern keys, west 

 coast Caloosa River to Caximbas Bay ; through the West Indies to Brazil, 

 and on the coast of the Indian Peninsula (introduced ?). 



A small, low, wide-spreading tree, rarely exceeding 4 metres in height, 

 with a trunk 0.15 metre in diameter, or in pine-barren soil and toward its 

 northern limits reduced to a low shrub ; common and reaching its great- 

 est development, in Florida on the west coast. 



Wood very heavy, tough, hard, close-grained, compact, containing 

 numerous regularly distributed open ducts ; medullary rays few, thin ; 

 color brown tinged with red, the sap-wood lighter. 



Hydrocyanic acid can be obtained from the edible plum-shaped fruit. 



