6o6 A TEXT-BOOK OF BOTANY. 



ern United States and Canada and the root, which contains con- 

 siderable tannin and possibly an alkaloid, has been used in medi- 

 cine. The leaves of Sageretia theezans of Asia have also been 

 used as a substitute for tea. A number of plants of this family 

 have been SUBSTITUTED FOR HOPS in the fermentation industry, as 

 Ceanothus reclinatus of the West Indies ; Colubrina fermcnta of 

 Guiana, and Gouania domingensis of Martinique and Hayti. 

 Saponin is found in the bark of Gouania tomcntosa of Mexico. 

 A crystalline bitter principle, colletin, occurs in the wood of Col- 

 letia spinosa of South America. The bark of Discaria febrifuga 

 of Brazil has been used as a substitute for cinchona. A number 

 of genera furnish fish poisons, as Zizyphus, Tapura, and Gouania. 

 Gum-lac is formed on the twigs of Zizyphus Jujuba of Asia as 

 the result of the sting of an insect (Coccus lacca}. 



The fruits of several species of Zizyphus, thorny shrubs found 

 growing in South America, are edible and enter into the French 

 or Spanish confection known as JUJUBE-PASTE. 



b. VITACE^: OR GRAPE FAMILY. The plants of this 

 family are woody climbers or erect shrubs with alternate, petiolate 

 leaves, and small, greenish, regular flowers, the fruit being a 

 berry. 



The most important genus, economically, is Vitis, to which 

 belong the cultivated grapes, the fruits of which furnish raisins, 

 wine and brandy. The GRAPE-VINE indigenous to Europe (Vitis 

 vinifera} is cultivated in all temperate and sub-tropical countries, 

 and the variety silvestris which is found distributed in the Medi- 

 terranean countries as far east as the Caucasus Mountains is sup- 

 posed to have furnished the cultivated wine grape. The CONCORD 

 and CATAWBA GRAPES are cultivated varieties of the northern Fox- 

 or Plum-grape (Vitis Labrusca) indigenous to the Northern 

 United States east of Minnesota. The DELAWARE GRAPES are cul- 

 tivated varieties of the frost-grape (V. cordifolia} and the sweet- 

 scented grape (V. vulpina} of the Eastern United States. The 

 pulpy part of the grape contains from 9 to 18 per cent, of grape- 

 sugar and 0.5 to 1.36 per cent, of tartaric acid. In unfavorable 

 seasons the tartaric acid is replaced in part by malic acid. The 

 soil has a marked influence on the quality of grapes, a sandy soil 



