420 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



have edible fruits, but very inferior in quality.' In the Antilles 

 much is made of Mammea americana^ (fig. 379); its pericarp is 

 sweet and aromatic, but like that of the Corossols, it is very inferior 

 to our good European fruit. Conserves and beverages are prepared 

 from it. From the flowers, of sweet odour, a refreshing and diges- 

 tive water is distilled. The fermented juice of the stems also affords 

 a kind of beverage. The fruit of the Indian and African Ochromvpus 

 is edible.^ The flowers are aromatic and are sometimes used, like 

 the leaves, for perfuming tea.* The berry of Bheedia lateriflora ^ 

 has the same uses in the Antilles as that of Mammea, likewise, in 

 Brazil, that of Flatonia insignis.^ That of Pentadesma hutyracea ^ 

 is highly esteemed in tropical western Africa for the yellowish resi- 

 nous juice it contains in abundance, which is extracted by incisions ; 

 it thickens and becomes a sort of butter much esteemed by the 

 natives, but with a slight turpentine odour and not agreeable to 

 Europeans. Several Cludacece have a wood of good quality, especially 

 Calophyllum, Mesua which in India furnishes the prized iron-wood, 

 in Guyana Moronohea coccinea, in New Caledonia Montrouzeria.^ 

 Generally Clusia and Garcinia have a soft wood. All the ClusiacecBj 

 being from tropical countries, are somewhat difficult of culture ; but 

 their thick glabrous opposite leaves with fine nervures produce a 

 fine effect in our warm conservatories, where are found some Bheedia, 

 Mamrnea, Calophyllum, and Garcinia, and Clusia ^ with magnificent 

 flowers. 



^ G. celebica L. Cambogia Desrx, zeylanica Sierra Leone. 



RoxB. Cowa RoxB. purpurea Eoxb. cochinchi- * To this genus perhaps belongs the famous 



iiei/sis Chois. ; G. cornea L. the fruit of which Cay-may, with which the Emperor of Hue is 



is small and indifferent, etc. said to aromatize his tea. 



2 L. Spec. 731.— J ACQ. Amer. 268, t. 181, fig. ^ l. Spec. 719.— Tuss. Fl. Ant. iii. t. 32.— 

 82; Tab. Fict. t. 248.— DC. Frodr. i. 561, n. 1. Van Bheedia Plum. ed. Burm. t. 257. In Pa- 

 — TuRP. Diet. Sc. Nat. Atl. 1. 157.— Griseb. Fl. nama the fruit of F. ediilis Pl. et Tri. {Calo- 

 Brit. W.-I»d. 108. — Lindl. Fl. Med. 115. — pkyllum edule Seem.) is eaten. B. acuminata 

 GuiB. op. cit. iii. 601. — Eosenth. op. cit. 741. — {Vert'.clllaria acuminata R. etPAv.) is the Arbol 

 Pl. et Tri. Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 4, xv. 242. — del Accyte de Maria oi the Vexwfidins,. Madrono 

 Mamay 'BAvn.Hist. i. 72. — Mammeimagno fructu^ QxNaranjuelo of the Colombians is also ^Bheedia. 

 Persicce saporeViMU. Gen. 44; Ic. 170 {Mammei, ^ Mart. Nov. Gen. et Spec. iii. 169, t. 288, fig. 

 Wild Apricot, St. Bomingo Apricot). 2, t. 289. — Rosenth. op. cit. 747. — Symphonia 



3 Especially, in India, that of 0. longifolius esculenta ST^v-n.— Bacwy Moronohea esculenta 

 {Calysaccion longifolium Wight; — Mammea Ion- Arr. d. Camara. 



gifolia Pl. et Tri.), and in Madagascar that of ^ See p. 404, note 6. — Rosenth. op cit. 744 



0. madagascariensis (Tovomita madagascarienais {Butter-tree, TaUow-tree). 



G. Don.). 0. africanus Oliv. {Fl. Trop. Afr. s Panch. et Seb. Not. Bois N.-Caled. 220. 



i. 169) is perhaps the Mammea africana Dox * Particularly C. rosea L. minor L. J/ara L. 



{Gen. Syst. i. 619) the fruit of which is eaten at alba L. 



