30(} NATURAL HISTORY OF PLAINTS. 



European, and two of the Asiatic genera have a very limited range, 

 ('h'uiioiiaiitltu.'i being only found native in Japan, and llortonia only 

 in Ceylon. Oceania, including Australia and the Sunda islands, 

 possesses six genera, three of which are proper to it, viz., Hedi/cari/a, 

 Pahiieria, and Dori/phora. At/ierosperma, Tambourissa, and MoUinedia 

 are common to it and other parts of the globe. However, only one 

 Tambourma is known in Java ; all the rest belong to the Mascarene 

 Islands and the Madagascar Archipelago, the habitat of Monimia 

 also. America, too, possesses genera with very restricted ranges, 

 especially Pcimus and Gomortega, which only occur in Chili. Ccdy- 

 canthvs is exclusively North American. Probably most of the Moni- 

 miaccce that still remain to be discovered will be found in Polynesia ; 

 already three or four species have been found in New Caledonia.^ 



The uses of the Monimiacece- are not very numerous. Several 

 species are remarkable for their aromatic odour, and are in this 

 respect quite analogous to the Lauracea, to which they come so 

 near in organization. This perfume, due to a volatile essential oil, 

 is found especially in the leaves and bark of the Atherosjjermear 

 Jfherospenua Moschata Labill. is used as tea by certain Australian 

 colonists." Its bark, fresh or dried, is used to prepare a pleasant- 

 tasted, slightly aperient stimulating decoction, drunk with milk. 

 Dori/phora Sassafras Exdl. is also very odoriferous ; its wood is said 

 to smell of fennel, and has been used as a carminative in Australia. 

 A. {Laurelia) semjjervirens is aromatic and stimulant. Its bark is 

 commonly employed in Chili for cooking, and its fruit smells some- 

 thing like the nutmeg, and is used instead of it.^ The Boldu 

 {PetijiiKS Boldas MoL.) is the species best known in America as 

 an aromatic plant.* The perfume of the leaves recalls certain La- 

 biata, Mijrtacece, and Lauracece. From them is prepared an in- 

 fusion which helps digestion, and is prescribed as a tonic, carmina- 

 tive, and diaphoretic, while their decoction in wine cures headache 



' See Adansonia, ix. 128, 132. Several fossil Mo»., 291.— HooK. F., Fl. N.-Zeal., I 218.— 



Monimiacete have also been described (see H. Bn., Diet. Bncycl. des Sc. Medic, vii. 79. 

 Unoek, in Seem. J&urn. of Bot. (18G5), 64. ^ H. Bn., Diet. Encyd. des Sc. Med., ser. 



2 E>DL., Enchir., 196, 657. — Li.xdl., Veg. 2, i. 25. 

 Kitiffd., 299, 300, 511.— TuL., Mon., 290.— » Feviix., Mist. FL Med. Peruv. et Chil., 



KosENTH., Syn. pi. diaphor., 227, 232, 951, 11.— R. & Pat., Si/st. Veg. Fl. Per. et Chil.,\. 



nil- 254, 268, 269.— Beeteeo, ilferc. 0^7.(1829), 



' Backh., cx Lindl., op. cit., 300. — Tui,., 685. 



