420 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



have edible fruits, but very inferior in quality. 1 Iu the Antilles 

 much is made of Mammea americana 2 (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 Ochrocarpus 

 is edible. 3 The flowers are aromatic and are sometimes used, like 

 the leaves, for perfuming tea. 4 The berry of Eheedla lateriflora 6 

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

 Brazil, that of Platonia insignis. 6 That of Pentadesma butyracea 7 

 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 Glusiacem have a wood of good quality, especially 

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

 in Guyana Moronobea coccinea, in New Caledonia Montrouzeria. 8 

 Generally Clusia and Garcinia have a soft wood. All the Clusiaceœ, 

 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 Rheedia, 

 Mammea, Calophyllum, and Garcinia, and Clusia 9 with magnificent 

 flowers. 



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



Eoxb. Cowa Roxb. purpurea Eoxn. cochinchi- 4 To this genus perhaps belongs the famous 



nensis Chois. ; G. cornea L. the fruit of which Cay-may, with which the Emperor of Hué is 



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



2 L. Spec. 731.— Jacq. Amer. 2GS, t. 181, fig. 5 L. Spec. 719.— Tuss. Fl. Ant. iii. t. 32.— 

 82; Tab. Put. t. 24S.— DC. Prodr. i. 561, n. 1. Van Rheedia Plum. ed. Burm. t. 257. In Pa- 

 — Turp. Diet. Sc. Nat. Atl. 1. 157. — Griseb. PL nama the fruit of P. edulis Pl. et Tri. (Calo- 

 Brit. W.-Ind. 108. — Linel. Fl. Med. 115. — phyttum edn/e Seem.) is eaten. Pi. acuminata 

 Guib. op. cit. iii. 601. — Eosenth. op. cit. 741. — ( Vert'.citlaria acuminata E. et Pav.) is the Arbol 

 Pl. et Tri. Ann. Se. Nat. sér. 4, xv. 242. — del Acoyte de Maria of the Peruvians. Madrono 

 Ma ma y B auh. Hist.'i. 72. — Mammeimagno fructu, ovNaranjuelo of the Colombians is also a.£heedia. 

 Persicœ sapore Plum. Gen. 44 ; Ic. 170 (Mammei, 6 Mart. Nov. Gen. et Spec. iii. 1G9, t. 288, fig. 

 Wild Apricot, St. Domingo Apricot). 2, t. 289. — Eosenth. op. cit. 747. — Symphonia 



3 Especially, in India, that of 0. longifolius esculenta Steud. — Bacury Moronobea esculenla 

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



gifolia Pl. et Tri.), and in Madagascar that of 7 See p. 404, note 5.— Eosenth. op cit. 744 



O. madagascariensis (Tornmita madagascariensis {Batter-tree, Tallow-tret). 



G-. Don.). O. africanus Oxrv. {Fl. Trop. Afr. s p AKCH . et SÉB. Not. Bois N.-Cahitl. 220. 



i. 169) is perhaps the Mammea africana Don 'Particularly C. rosea L. minor L. jtara L. 



[Gen. Syst. i. 619) the fruit of which is eaten at alba h. 



