Vegetable Oils. 531 



rived from the climbing Vahea, stands next in quality and 

 price. Third in rank is that furnished by the Ule-trees 

 {Castilloa elaHtica) growing in Central America and on the 

 western slope of the Andes as far down as Guayaquil. 

 The Indian rubber ("Assam" and "Singapore") comes 

 inainly from the Ficus elastica. 



Several trees — as the Magarandiiba (or " Cow-tree)," Se- 

 jas, and Guapeba — yield a viscid milk, which, upon evap- 

 oration, resembles Gutta-peecha. 



Two species of the Vegetable Ivory Palm {Phytele- 

 jphas) abound on the Huallaga, Ucayali, and Purus. The 

 smaller is called " Jarina," and the larger " Poloponto." 

 The ivory is the consolidated albumen of the nut. 



Copaiba (Oleo de Copahyba) is a prominent export from 

 the Amazons, a considerable quantity being brought down 

 the southern tributaries — as the Jurua and Purus. It is 

 the juice of several species of Oojpaifera, having a smooth, 

 straight stem, umbelliferous head, and pinnate leaves. It 

 is valued at Manaos at 70 cents a kilogram. When pure, 

 it should be of a straw-yellow color ; any other color in- 

 dicates too much resin or some adulteration. Its virtue is 

 in the yellow volatile oil. 



The Castok-oil Plant {Ricina) abounds along the east- 

 ern slope of the Andes, one species attaining, at Tarapoto 

 the height of twenty-five feet; but very little oil is ex- 

 tracted. 



Umiki is a very fragrant yellow balsam from the trunk 

 of Humirium floribundum, growing on the Tapajos. 



Sassafras, so called, is the transparent oil of a tree on 

 the Upper Negro, used in mixing oil colors. 



Andiroba is the bitter oil made from a fruit on the 

 Lower Amazons, and used in lamps. 



