CLASSIFICATION OF ANGIOSPERMS. 519 



East Indian Archipelago. The wood from the East Indies is 

 known as Macassar sandalwood and yields 1.6 to 3 per cent, of 

 oil, while the Indian wood yields 3 to 5 per cent. The oil consists 

 of 90 to 98 per cent, of santalol. Fiji oil of santal is obtained from 

 S. Yasi; and Australian oil of santal from Fusanus acuminatus 

 and F. spicatus. The Chinese oil is obtained from Santalum 

 Freycinctianum and S. Preisci. 



c. FAMILY BALANOPHORACE^:. The plants of this 

 group are indigenous to tropical and sub-tropical regions. They 

 are root-parasites and develop tuberous rhizomes and fleshy shoots 

 which are yellow and without foliage leaves. Balanophora elon- 

 gata of Java grows on the roots of Ficus and other plants, and 

 contains a large quantity of wax and resin. Sarcophyte sanguined 

 of Cape Colony, which lives on the roots of certain Acacias, con- 

 tains a principle with the odor of scatol. Cynomorium coccineum, 

 found in the countries bordering the Mediterranean, has a blood- 

 red, astringent sap. The torus of the flower of Langsdorffia hypo- 

 gcca of tropical America is edible. The plant is also rich in wax, 

 and in New Granada it is sold under the name of " Siejas " and 

 burnt like a candle. 



IX. ORDER ARISTOLOCHIALES. 



This order includes two families which are very different in 

 their general habits, a. The Rafflesiaceae are parasitic herbs that 

 are almost devoid of chlorophyll. The reddish vegetative parts 

 penetrate into the tissues of the host, and from these arise almost 

 mushroom-like flowers which in the case of Rafflesia Arnoldii 

 of Sumatra are I M. in diameter, being probably the largest flowers 

 known. The plants of this family are rich in astringent substances. 



b. ARISTOLOCHIACEJE OR BIRTHWORT FAMILY. 

 The plants are non-parasitic herbs or shrubs, some of which are 

 twining. The leaves are simple and in many of the plants more 

 or less cordate and reniform. The flowers are perfect and the 

 perianth is 3- to 6-lobed. While the flowers of our native species 

 are rather small and insignificant, those of the tropical plants are 

 extremely curious, being generally of some striking color and 

 of various odd forms. 



Aristolochia reticulata is one of the plants that furnishes the 



