DICOTYLEDONE.E. 75 



This tree is common on most of the islands 

 in the Indian Archipelago, and on the continent of 

 Malacca and Siam. There are varieties of the nut- 

 meg; as the true sort, received from Ceylon and the 

 Molucca islands, are smaller, rounder, and higher 

 flavoured than those produced in the woods of 

 Malacca. The vitality of the nut is destroyed in the 

 process of preparing it, with salt water and lime, for 

 exportation. 



The LaurmcB are a distinguished order of trees and 

 shrubs, as emblems, ornamental trees in gardens, and 

 in commerce, as producing the finest spices or aro- 

 matic oils. Two new orders have been taken from 

 the genus Laurns as arranged by Linnaeus ; viz. 

 Cinnamomum and Persea ; the first yields spices 

 chiefly, and the last an edible West India fruit, 

 namely the alligator pear. The Cinnamomum cam- 

 phora is one of the principal forest trees in the 

 southern provinces of China ; the C. verum and C. 

 cassia are also found there ; but the best cinnamon 

 (the inner bark and vital envelope of shoots about 

 half an inch diameter) is produced in Ceylon and 

 other islands in the same latitude. 



Polygonece contain many worthless weeds, but 

 among them we find the excellent medicinal rhubarb, 

 now doubly valuable as an article of diet. The seeds 

 of Polygonum fagopyrum, yield the distiller an 

 ardent but pernicious spirit, if not qualified by some 

 milder principle. As food for cattle it should always 

 be used with caution. 



