124 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



piece, of an immense size, and of comparatively light weight from 

 the gig-antic trunks of the Baobabs. A Benin Bombax buonopozenstf 

 serves the same purpose ; in India B. Ceiba and B.gossypinum, whose 

 wood takes the place of cork ; 2 on the Gambia Briodendron anfractuosum 

 and Sterculia cordi folia ; in tropical America, various Pachiras. The 

 light wood of Hibiscus tiliaceus" floats on water, and is often used in 

 making corks or slabs to keep nets afloat. It has little solidity, but 

 its charming colour makes it valued for cabinet-work, and it some- 

 times receives the name of Eose-wood. The wood of the Oc/iroma 

 Zagopus 4 is also used as cork in America. The old trunks of the 

 cultivated Cocoas are used in the Antilles for many useful pur- 

 poses, particularly as firing. 5 We do not lay any stress upon the 

 numerous ornamental species of Malva, Lavatera, Callirhoe, Althaa, 

 Sida, Hibiscus, Malope ; nor upon the beautiful Rose Mallow, such as 

 the China Rose, the Gombauts, &c, which ornament our green- 

 houses, with the Bombeyece (especially Astrapceci), Lasiopefala, Penta- 

 pcfes, Malvaviscus, Abutilon, Pavorria, Gcet/iea, Gossypium, Bombax, 

 Ilerrania, and Pachira with large digitate leaves, 6 Chiranthodcn- 

 dron (fig. 103-105), Sterculia, Pterospermum, Quararibca, and nu- 

 merous species of Hermannia (figs. 106-115) with yellowish or reddish 

 flowers. 



1 Pal. Beauv., Fl. Om. et Ben., ii. 42, t. Antilles). The wood of 0. tomentosum W. 

 83.— Mast., in Oliv. Fl. Trop. Afr., i. 213. (vulg. Palo de balsa) is used in Columbia in the 



2 In Brazil B. ventricosum Aretjd. has a fabrication of light rafts which descend the 

 wood so light that it is used for making little Magdalena. 



boards or boats, which the Ghiaycurus Indians 5 In Madagascar the reddish extremely hard 



wear in their lips or ears, and whose weight is wood of the Sterculia Tavia H. Bn. (in Allan - 



very inconsiderable for the size of these singular sonia, x. 179) is used in making pestles to pound 



ornaments. rice. The filamentous bark is used in making 



3 L., Spec., 976. — Paritium tiliaceum A. cordage. 



Jrss., in A. S. H. Fl. Bras. Mer., i. 255. — 6 In Australia the Sterculia acerifulia A. 



Pariti Riieed., Hort. Malab., i. t. 30. Cunn. {Brachy chiton acerifolium F. Mttell.) 



4 Sw., Fl. Lid. Occ, ii. 1144, t. 23. — DC., appears to owe its ornamental qualities to its 

 Prodr., i. 480. — Bombax pyramidale Cat., numerous fruits and bright red flowers, whence 

 Diss., v. 294, t. 155 (vulg. Hare's-foot, in the the name of Flame-tree. 



