124 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 
piece, of an immense size, and of comparatively light weight from 
the gigantic trunks of the Baobabs. A Benin Bombax buonopozense 
serves the same purpose ; in India B. Ceiba and B. gossypinum, whose 
wood takes the place of cork ;? on the Gambia Zriodendron anfractuosum 
and Sferculia cordifolia ; in tropical America, various Pachiras. The 
light wood of /iidiscus tihaceus’ 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 Rose-wood. The wood of the Ochroma 
Lagopus' 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.” We do not lay any stress upon the 
numerous ornamental species of Aalva, Lavatera, Callirhoe, Althea, 
Sida, Hibiscus, Malope ; nor upon the beautiful Rose Mallow, such as 
the China Rose, the Gombauts, &c., which ornament our green- 
houses, with the Dombeyee (especially Astrapea), Lasiopetala, Penta- 
petes, Malvaviscus, Abutilon, Pavonia, Gathea, Gossypium, Bombax, 
Herrania, and Pachira with large digitate leaves,’ Chiranthoden- 
dron (fig. 103-105), Sferculia, Plerospermum, Quararibea, and nu- 
merous species of ermannia (figs. 106-115) with yellowish or reddish 
flowers. 

1 pat, Bravv., Fl. Ow. et Ben., ii. 42, t. Antilles), The wood of O. tomentosum W. 
83.—Masr., in Oliv. Fl. Trop. Afr., i. 213. 
2 In Brazil B. ventricosum ARRUD. has a 
wood so light that it is used for making little 
boards or boats, which the Guaycurus Indians 
wear in their lips or ears, and whose weight is 
very inconsiderable for the size of these singular 
ornaments, 
3 L., Spec., 976.— Paritium tiliaceum A. 
Juss., in A. S. H. Fl. Bras. Mer., i, 255.— 
Pariti Rurev., Hort. Malab., i. t. 30. 
4 Sw., Fl. Ind. Oce., ii, 1144, t. 23.—DC., 
Prodr., i. 480.—Bombax pyramidale Cav., 
Diss., v. 294, t. 155 (vulg. Hare’s-foot, in the 
(vulg. Palo de balsa) is used in Columbia in the 
fabrication of light rafts which descend the 
Magdalena. ‘ 
5 In Madagascar the reddish extremely hard 
wood of the Stereulia Tavia H. Bn. (in Adan- 
sonia, x. 179) is used in making pestles to pound 
rice. The filamentous bark is used in making 
cordage, 
6 In Australia the Sterculia acerifolia A, 
Cunn. (Brachychiton acerifolium F. Murtt,) 
appears to owe its ornamental qualities to its 
numerous fruits and bright red flowers, whence 
the name of Flame-tree. 
