60 THE USES OF PLANTS. 



month, consist of a membranous husk or ' epicarp ' 

 enclosing a ' mesocarp ' of the valuable * coir ' fibre 

 used for matting, etc. ; and the hard shell, or * endo- 

 carp,' used for cups ; the white ' albumen ' and ' milk ' 

 serve as food and drink, and the former, on pressing, 

 yields an oil used for cooking, lamps and candle- 

 making ; and the sap of the ' spadix,' or flower-head, 

 yields sugar, and, on fermentation, ( toddy ' and 

 arrack.' 



The PISTACHIO-NUT (Pis facia vera, L.), one of the 

 Anacardiacese, native of Western Asia, and much 

 cultivated in the Greek Islands, has a kernel green 

 with chlorophyll, resembling the Sweet Almond in 

 taste, and considerably used in French confectionery. 

 In the allied CASHEW-NUT (Anacardium occidentale, 

 L.) of the West Indies, not only is the roasted kernel 

 edible, but also the pear-like enlargement of the floral 

 receptacle. Though not truly a nut, mention must 

 here be made 'of the OLIVE (Olea europea, L.), native 

 to Syria and Greece, the fleshy green drupaceous 

 fruits of which are imported pickled in brine, but 

 are still more largely used for oil. Two varieties, the 

 large, or Spanish, and the smaller, or Italian, Olives 

 are imported. 



DlKA-BREAD (Irvingia Barteri, Hook, fil.j is pre- 

 pared from kernels of one of the Simarubece, growing 

 in profusion on the Gaboon. Containing 73 per cent, 

 of a solid fat, it has been suggested as a soap-making 

 material. 



