338 NATURAL HISTORY. 



like a lady's shoe. Grows in meadows and woods from 

 Newfoundland to Carolina ; rare in Europe ; found only 

 on mountains. 2. 



Vanilla Plant (Vanilla aromatica), plate 28, fig. 5, 

 has a climbing stalk, which twines or fastens itself on 

 trees, like ivy ; leaves fleshy, ovate, or lanceolate ; stem 

 succulent, round, and about as thick as a finger ; roots 

 itself by its joints in the bark ; flowers, white, stand in 

 terminal racemes ; fruit a kind of pod, about a span in 

 length, in thickness the size of a small finger, brown 

 and fleshy. The pulp, also brown, is full of small seeds ; 

 the odor delightfully fragrant ; taste sweet and aromatic. 

 Stimulating and of delicious flavor, it forms a favorite 

 seasoning for chocolate and various other confections. 

 Native of South America ; cultivated in Mexico. The 

 monkey race is excessively fond of this plant, and visit- 

 ing the vanilla plantations in troops, commit vast depre- 

 dations on the ripe fruit, therefore it is usual to keep a 

 strict guard against these destructives. 



SIXTY-FOURTH FAMILY. ZINGIBERACE^:. The 

 plants of this genus resemble reeds. Flowers mostly 

 beautifully colored ; fruit or root contain a quantity of 

 stimulant or aromatic substance. 



The Cucumber Root East India Cucumber (Cur- 

 cuma longa). Fruit or knob oblong, palmate, spread- 

 ing ; internally yellow ; leaves reed-like, lanceolate ; 

 flowers yellowish-white, arranged in ears or spikes ; cul- 

 tivated largely in China and East Indies. Root faintly 

 pungent and aromatic, is used as ginger ; chiefly valuable 

 for the beautiful gold color extracted from it (Turmeric), 

 which, however, of exceeding brilliancy at first, fades 

 very soon. 2f. 



Ginger (Zingiber officinale). Leaves small, lanceo- 



