OILS AND OIL-SEEDS, ETC. 141 



MYRISTICE^. 



Myristica. Various species contain a good deal of 

 a solid fat in their seeds, with more or less of the 

 volatile oil of nutmeg. The following are imported : 

 M. angolensis, Welw., 72 per cent, of oil ; no smell. 

 M. fatua, Sw., of Borneo, * LONG ' or ' WILD ' NUT- 

 MEGS. M. fragrans, Houtt., of the Moluccas, the 

 COMMON NUTMEG. M. sebifera, Sw., of Northern 

 South America, VlROLA, yields 26 per cent, of 

 AMERICAN NUTMEG OIL, used on the Continent for 

 soap and candles. M. surinamensis, Rob., CUAGO 

 nuts of the West Indies, imported in 1881, contain 

 65 per cent, of fat.* 



The essential OILS OF CINNAMON (Cinnamomum 

 zeylanictim, Breyn.), CASSIA (C. Cassia, Bl.), and SAS- 

 SAFRAS (Sassafras officinale, Nees), have already been 

 referred to (see p. 113, supra). 



Persea gratissima, Gaert., the AVOCADO PEAR, of 

 Tropical America, has an edible berry which yields an 

 oil suitable for soap-making or lighting purposes. 



Laurus nobilis, L., the BAY, contains an aromatic 

 oil, for which its leaves are employed in cookery ; 

 whilst a perfume is also obtained from that of the 

 berries. f 



EUPHORBIACE^:. 



Aleurites triloba, Forst. ( = A. moluccana, Willd. ?), 

 of Fiji, etc., yields the CANDLE-NUT, COUNTRY 



* Christy, No. 8, p. 26, with descriptions of other species and 

 engravings of the seeds. 



f Bentley and Trimen, iii, pi. 221. 



