THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 519 



On the contrary, iron-wood (Siderodendrum triflorum), 

 which can be polished like metal, is so dense that savages 

 often employ it to make their war-clubs and other formida- 

 ble weapons of. 



216. The Green Tremella: Tremella atro-virens (Bulliard). 



The finger-nail will pierce the fleshy stalk of some eu- 

 phorbias, and cause abundance of milky juice to flow. But, 

 on the other hand, the stalks of some bamboos in India 

 almost turn the file, and, as we have said, are so indurated 

 with silica that sparks can be drawn with the steel from 

 them. 



