32G NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



European, and two of the Asiatic genera have a very limited range, 

 Chiiiionanfhus being only found native in Japan, and llortonia only 

 in Ceylon. Oceania, including Australia and the Sunda islands, 

 possesses six genera, three of which are proper to it, viz., J[rch/cart/a, 

 Palmeria, and Doryp/iora. Al/ieroi^pcrma, Tambourissa, and Mullincdia 

 are common to it and other parts of the globe. However, only one 

 Tambourhm is known in Java ; all the rest belong to the Mascarene 

 Islands and the Madagascar Archipelago, the habitat of Mofiimia 

 also. America, too, possesses genera with very restricted ranges, 

 especially PfumuH and Gomortct/a, which only occur in Chili. Caly- 

 ca/ithua is exclusively North American. Probably most of the }f(jin- 

 viiaccce that still remain to be discovered will be found in Polynesia ; 

 already three or four species have been found in New Caledonia.' 



The uses of the Monuinacca'- are not very numerous. Several 

 species are remarkable for their aromatic odour, and are in this 

 respect quite analogous to the Lauracea, to which they come so 

 near in organization. This perfume, due to a volatile essential oil, 

 is found especially in the leaves and bark of the AthcrospenueaJ- 

 AilwroHperma Moschala LABiLii. is used as tea by certain Australian 

 colonists." Its bark, fresh or dried, is used to prepare a pleasant- 

 tasted, slightly aperient stimulating decoction, drunk with milk. 

 Donjphora Sa-s.safras Endl. is also very odoriferous ; its wood is said 

 to bmell of fennel, and has been used as a carminative in Australia. 

 A. {Laurelia) seiupcrvirem is aromatic and stimulant. Its bark is 

 commonly employed in Chili for cooking, and its Iruit smells some- 

 thing like the nutmeg, and is used instead of it.^ The Boldu 

 {PcuiiiKS Jioldus MoL.) is the species best known in America as 

 an aromatic plant.' The perfume of the leaves recalls certain Ln- 

 biat(By Mi/rtacea, and Lauraccce. From them is prepared an in- 

 fusion which helps digestion, and is prescribed as a tonic, carmina- 

 tive, and diaphoretic, while their decoction in wine cures headache 



' 8co Adanionla, ix. 128. 132. Scvorul fossil Mon., 21)1.— Hook. F., Fl. K.ZtaL, i. 218.— 



Mommiavrii- liuve \\\m been ilcHciibed (»eo II. llN., D'tvt. Em-tfcl. dra Sc. Medu\, vii. 71). 



Unoku. ill Skkm. J«iir«. <,//yo/. (lKt;5), <;4. •• H. Hn., Divt. Kmyrl. dts Ac. i/.'./.. w'r. 



- K.NDL.. JCmhir., I'JC), Or.?.— LiM.i... V,g. 2, i. 25. 



Kinjd.. 2'J'J, 3(K), &«!.— Ti'i,., Mun., 2'JO.— * Fkiiix., llial. PI. Med. Perttr. et Ckil., 



ItoBEMil., .*»>». /'I. diiijjfwr., 227, 232, 951, 11.— K. & Pa v., Si^st. Vrg. Fl. Per. rt Chil.,\. 



1111. 254, 208, 2Gy.— Ukutkuo, Merc. Chil. (1820), 



» Uack)i., IX Ijm>i.., op. cit., 3(K).— Tii., (i85. 



