350 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Grlas cauliflova^^ or Anchovy ^ ear ^ is gathered before it is ripe and 

 preserved with oil and with salt. Bertholletia excelsa'^ produces the 

 Brazil nut^ of commerce. These seeds (fig. 327, 328) are in shape 

 that of a quarter of an apple, with hard rugose striated envelope, 

 covering a large undivided edible embryo, rich in a sweet oil 

 which soon turns rancid. The fibrous bark is useful, sometimes 

 supplying the place of tow. Several Bavringtonias yield useful 

 products. B. sjpeciosa^ of tropical Asia, has oleaginous seeds 

 and fruits^ which are eaten green as vegetables. The Indians 

 throw them into the rivers to intoxicate the fish. B. racemosa ^ (fig. 

 315, 316), an Asiatic and tropical oceanic species, has bitter aromatic 

 astringent seeds, used in the treatment of afi'ections of the skin, of 

 the digestive organs, and of the liver. The bitter root is also pre- 

 scribed for intermittent fevers. B. rubra '^ is a large Indian tree, 

 the fruit of which has astringent qualities ; the seeds and leaves, 

 macerated in warm water, are likewise used in a similar manner. 

 B. coccinea,^ of India, Cochinchina, and the Moluccas, is edible ; the 

 young leaves are eaten cooked and in salad. Those of B. alba ^ are 

 likewise eaten raw. The bark of this species is used for dyeing black. 

 The number of ornamental Myrtacece is considerable. The 

 common Myrtle and the Pomegranate were long the only species of 

 this family cultivated for decorative purposes. Later were introduced 

 into our warm conservatories, specimens of Eugenia, ^^ (chiefly of the 

 section Jambosa), Pimenta, then Barringtoniaj^^ Gustavia,^^ and 

 Napoleona, with rich foliage and brilliant flowers ; and in our cool 



1 L. Spec. 732.— DC. Frodr. iii. 296.— Hook. ^ Vulg. Bonnets carves. 



Bot. Mag. t. o622.—Anchovi/ Fear Sloan. Hist. « Bl. ex DC. Frodr. n. 2 ; V. Houtt. Fl. des 



Jam. ii. 122, t. 217. — P. Bk. Jam. 245. — Lux. Serr. vii. 23, tab. — Eugenia racemosa L. Spec. 



Sort. Jam. i. 19. 673. — Samstravadi Rheed. Hort. Malab. iv. t. 6. 



2 H. B. Fl. JSquin.i. 122, t. 36.— Poit. Mem. 7 ^, acutangula G^rtn. Fruct. ii. 97, t. HI. 

 Mus.xm. 148, t. 4, ^.—T>C. Frodr. iii. 293. — — Rosenth. op. cit. \lb^.— Eugenia acutangula 

 ScHOMB. Fioc. Hort. Soc. i. 71, t. 3, 4. — Mart. L. Spec. 673. — Stravadia rubra Pers. — Strava- 

 Reiaeyni. 1130, n. 11.— Guib. Brag. Simpl. ed. 6, dium rubrum DC. Frodr. iii. 289, n. 2 {Rosairo 

 iii. 271. — Mer. et Del. Bid. Mat. Med. i. 579. hrava), 



— H. Bn. Bict. Encycl. Sc. Med. ix. 182.— Berg. 8 jg. excelsa Bl. Bijdr. 1097 (ex DC.).— 5^m- 



Liunaa, xxvii. 460 ; Mart. FL Bras, Mijrt. 478, vadium excelsum DC. Frodr. n. 5. 



t. 60, 61 {Yuvia, Nha, Kia, Tuca, Touka). ^ Stravadium album DC. Frodr. n. 1. — Stra- 



2 Amandes d'Ainerigue, du Para, du Rio-Negro, vadtaalbaFBB.s. — Seemann {Fl. Vit. 82) describes 



du Rio- Grande, Castanos de Maranhdo. B. edulis as a species employed under the name 



4 L. riL. Suppl. 312.— DC. Frodr. iii. 288, n. of Vutu Kana. 



1.— RosENTH. op. cit. 9SS.—Butonica speciosa ^^ See Bot. Mag. t. 473, 4408, 4526, 4558, 



Lamk. Bict.i. 521. — Mitraria Commersoni Gmel. 4626, 5040, etc. 



— Commersona Sonner. Tog. Guin. i. 14, t. 8, 9. ^^ V. Houtt. Fl. des Serres, vii. 21. 



—Butoniea Rumph. Serb. Amboin. iii. t. 114. ^^ Bot. Mag. t. 5069, 5239, 6151. 



