272 NATURAL HISTORY. 



leaves elliptical and somewhat curled ; flowers inodorous 

 and resemble those of the apple ; fruit about the size of 

 a common pear ; rind, yellowish-green and leather-like, 

 encloses reddish-colored pulp of pleasant taste, not unlike 

 a mixture of raspberries, strawberries, and sugar ; con- 

 tains also a number of seeds. The celebrated Guava 

 jelly is made from it. 



The Cajeput Tree (Melaleuca leucadendron). The 

 leaves of this tree are lanceolate, acute, and many- veined. 

 The flowers stand in spikes or ears like corn. Height of 

 tree often sixty feet ; bark white. The flowers are 

 white ; odor sourish, but pleasant ; fruit about as large 

 as peas, contain very minute seeds. The lower part of 

 the trunk being black while the upper is white, this tree 

 has therefore received the name of Melaleuca (Greek, 

 black-white). From the fruit and leaves an essential 

 oil, known as Cajeput oil, used in medicine, is obtained. 

 Fruit, flowers, leaves in short, the whole tree yields a 

 peculiarly pleasant odor, h . 



THIRTIETH FAMILY. CUCURBITACE.E. SICYOS, the 

 ancient name of the Cucumber. 



The Briony (Bryonia alba) has heart-shaped palmate, 

 five-lobed leaves, which are notched, rough, and callous ; 

 the flowers, white, and not longer than the calyx or cup, 

 are separated into different sexes ; grows everywhere on 

 hedges. Root thick, white, fleshy, and full of warty 

 excrescences, contains an acrid juice used as a purgative, 

 likewise a considerable amount of starch. The root, 

 although full of sap in the summer season, becomes hard 

 and woody in the winter. 2 . 



The Gherkin or Garden Cucumber (Cucumis sati- 

 vus), L., leaves heart-shaped, five-cornered, and toothed ; 

 stem rough, hairy, soft, and trailing 5 flowers yellow 



