CATALOGUE OF ECONOMIC PLANTS IN THE COLLECTION OF THE U. S. 

 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Washington, D. C, June 5, 1891. 

 Sir: I have duly prepared by your direction a descriptive list of 

 the more important economic plants at present contained in the col- 

 lection of the Department, in such a form as will, in my opinion, 

 most satisfactorily meet the wants of the numerous visitors and 

 others interested in the work performed by the Department in this 

 direction, and I beg to submit the same herewith for publication. 



William Saunders, 

 Superintendent of Gardens and Grounds. 

 Hon. J. M. Rusk, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE OP PLANTS. 



i; Abelmoschus moschatus.— This plant is a native of Bengal. Its seeds were 

 formerly mixed with hair powder, and are still used to perfume pomatum. 

 The Arabs mix them with their coffee berries. In the West Indies the 

 bruised seeds, steeped in rum, are used, both externally and internally, as a 

 cure for snake bites. 



2. Abrus precatorius. — Wild liquorice. This twining, leguminous plant is a 



native of the East, but is now found in the West Indies and other tropical 

 regions. It is chiefly remarkable for its small oval seeds, which are of a 

 brilliant scarlet color, with a black scar at the place where they are attached 

 to the pods. These seeds are much used for necklaces and other ornamental 

 purposes, and are employed in India as a standard of weight, under the name 

 of Rati. The weight of the famous Kohinoor diamond is known to have 

 been ascertained in this way. The roots afford liquorice, which is extracted 

 in the same manner as that from the true Spanish liquorice plant, the Qly- 

 cyrrhiza glabra. Eecently the claim was made that the weather could be 

 foretold by certain movements of the leaves of this plant, but experimental 

 tests have proved its fallacy. 



3. Abutilon indicum. — This plant furnishes fiber fit for the manufacture of ropes. 



Its leaves contain a large quantity of mucilage. 



4. Abutilon venosum. — This malvaceous plant is common in collections, as are 



others of the genus. They are mostly fiber-producing species. The flowers 

 of A. esculentum are used as a vegetable in Brazil. 



5. Acacia beasiliensis. — This plant furnishes the Brazil wood, which yields a red 



or crimson dye, and is used for dyeing silks. The best quality is that received 

 from Pernambuco. 



6. Acacia catechu. — The drug known as catechu is principally prepared from 



this tree, the wood of which is boiled down, and the decoction subsequently 

 evaporated so as to form an extract much used as an astringent. The aca- 

 cias are very numerous, and yield many useful products. Gum arabic is pro- 

 duced by several species, as A. vera, A. Arabica, A. Adansonii, A. verek, and 

 others. It is obtained by spontaneous exudation from the trunk and branches, 

 or by incisions made in the bark, from whence it flows in a liquid state, but 



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