44 EXPEDITION TO JAPAN. 



rain; so that by the time the process is terminated, all the volatile principles to which it owes 

 its virtues are dissipated, and thereby rendered almost worthless. 



Meliace^, only one species — the melia azedarach, or pride of India. I saw it once in the for- 

 tifications of the old castle of Nagagusko, and once or twice in the open country, and it was of 

 its usual size. 



Labiate: Sage (salvia Claytoni), cat-mint (nepeta cataria), and horehound (marrubium vul- 

 gar e) . 



Liliace^i : Garlic (allium sativum), onion (A. cepa), leek (A.porrum), and a species of lily, 

 growing in many places, which I think is the white lily, but I am not certain. 



Akacejs : Taro and duckweed (lemna minor) are the only ones observed. The former is 

 abundantly cultivated in the marshy lowlands for its tubers. The duckweed is also found in 

 most fresh-water ponds. 



PiperacejE : Only one species, the black pepper (piper niger), was found, and this quite rare. 



CHENOPODiAciiE : Pigweed (chenopodium glaucum), beet (beta vulgaris), spinach (spinacea ole- 

 racea). 



Alsine^e : Of the chickweed there are three or four different species. 



Eanunculus : There are several species of the crowfoot, of which the principal is the yellow 

 water crowfoot (ranunculus Pursldi). 



Ckucifer^! : Water-cress (nasturtium officinale), black mustard (sinapis nigra), radish (rapha- 

 nus sativus), cabbage (brassica oleracea), and turnip (brassica rapa). The radish and turnip 

 grow very large, but are almost insipid, from their rapid growth, which appears to be owing to 

 the large quantity of ammoniacal matter with which the soil is manured. 



Helianthus : Jerusalem artichoke (helianthits tuberosus) was found cultivated on the western 

 coast, apparently for esculent purposes ; common artichoke (cynara scolymus) is everywhere 

 abundant along the road-sides. 



CiCHOEACEiE : Lettuce (lacluca sativa), strong-scented lettuce (L. virosa). 



Oxalis : Two species of this were found — common wood-sorrel (0. acetosella) and yellow wood 

 sorrel (0. stricta). 



Violacmi : Two species, of which one, the sweet violet, is very common all over the island. 



Malvaceae : Marshmallow (altJica officinale) and the hibiscus (hibiscus militaris) are the only 

 ones observed ; the former in damp and marshy places, the latter around and about houses, 

 where the natives pay great attention to its culture on account of the beauty of its flowers. 

 There are some varieties of hibiscus which are not here mentioned. 



CucrmBiTACE^i : Water-melon (cucurbita citrullus), the pumpkin (C. Pepo), cucumber (G. sa- 

 tivus), are all very plenty in the markets. 



GRAMiNEiE : Spear-grass (poa), several varieties; timothy (plileum), millet (milium effusum), 

 barley (Jwrdeum), wheat (triticum), rice (oryza), jungle weed (luzula campestris and juncus fili- 

 formis), of several species; sedge-grass. 



Cypekace^;, of many varieties: sugar-cane (saccharum officinarum), bamboo (bambusa arundi- 

 nacea) of two kinds, and the principal ones that came to my notice. 



Barley, in the summer, is one of the principal grains planted, and yields very well. Wheat, as 

 a winter grain, is grown in some portions of the island extensively, but does not appear to thrive 

 well — more, however, on account of the manner of cultivation than from any other cause. Kice, 

 here, as in nearly every eastern country, is the chief article of diet ; and, consequently, more of 

 it is grown, and its culture more thoroughly understood, than that of any of the Graminece. 



