CYCADACEiE PINACE^.. 555 



The Sago of the shops, formerly believed to come from the trunk 

 of Cycas circinalis, is chiefly the product of Sagus Jarinifera. Gartn. 

 {Buck.) 



2. revoluta, Thunb. (Spreng. syst. S, p. 907 ; — Sm. in Linn. Soc. trans. 6, 

 t. 29, 30 x—Roxb. fl. ind. 3. p. 746 ;— B. M. 57, t. 2963-4 ,—Rumph. 

 1, t. 24.) 5 Japan. China. ? Common in gardens about Calcutta. Fl, 

 H. S. ; fr. C. S. " The taste of the fruit is mealy, dry and sweetish, 

 but insipid. It is the general opinion here, that this is the Sago 

 Palm, or the plant that produces Sago. The Japanese eat the fruits, 

 and from the trunk extract a kind of Sago, which is highly esteemed, 

 especially by the people of rank. On this account, the plant is much 

 cultivated about their houses, and is forbidden to be exported. A 

 very small quantity of the medulla or pith suffices to satisfy the hun- 

 ger of a soldier in the time of war." {B. M. I. c.) Roxb., however, 

 says, that he has no reason to think, that the plant, which was intro- 

 duced into H. C. G. in 1794, can ever be made a useful article of diet. 



S.sphcBrica, Roxb. (Ji. ind. 3, p. 747.) 5 Moluccas. Fl. R. S, ; fr. C. S. 



Zamia furfur acea. Ait. ; B. M. 45, t. 1969. 5 W. Indies. — Z. muricata, 

 Humb. 5 New Granada. — Z. integrifolia, Ait.; B. M. 43, t. 1851. 

 5 W. Indies.— Z. debilis, Ait.; B. Cab. t. 155. 5 W. Indies.— Z. 

 media, Jacq. ; B. M. 43, t. 1838. 5 W. Indies. — Z. pygmcea, Sims.; 



B. M. 42, t. 1741. 5 W. Indies.— Z. pumila, L. , B. M. 45, t. 2006. 

 5 Bahama Islands. — Cycas media, R. Br. 5 Tropical N. Holland. — 



C. angulata, R. Br. 5 Tropical N. Holland. 



ORDER CCXXII.— PINACE^, Lindl. Nat. Syst. p. 313. 

 (Conifer 86, Juss.) 



THE FIR TRIBE. 



Trees or shrubs, by Lindl. referred to 11 genera. Of these, Spreng. syst. 

 and Roxb. fl. ind. enumerate 20 species for Europe ; 20 for N. America ; 8 

 for Mexico, and the W. Indies ; 5 for the Orient ; 4 for Japan ; 8 for 

 China ; 2 for the South Sea Islands ; 2 for Siberia ; 3 for Caucasus ; 3 for 

 S. Africa ; I for N. Africa ; 1 for the Canaries ; 1 for Madagascar ; 

 and 1 for Arabia. In the E. Indies have been discovered about 19-20 

 species, viz. 7 of Pinus, Himalayas, (1 from Cochin-China) ; I of Abies; 

 (Himalayas); 1 of Dammara, (Amboyna); 1 of Thuja, (Himalayas ^); 2-3 of 

 Cupressus, (Himalayas) ; I of Taxodium, (Himalayas) ; and 5 of Juniperus, 

 (Himalayas.) 



" No order can be named of more universal importance to mankind than 

 this, whether we view it with reference to its timber or its secretions. 



