12 



90. Carltjdovica palmata. — A pandanaceous plant from Panama and southward. 



Panama hats are made from the leaves of this plant. The leaves are cut when 

 young, and the stiff parallel veins removed, after which they are slit into 

 shreds, but not separated at the stalk end, and immersed in boiling water for 

 a short time, then bleached in the sun. 



91. Caryocar nuciferum. — On the river banksof Guiana this grows to a large-sized 



tree. It yields the butter-nuts, or souari-nuts of commerce. These are of a 

 flattened kidney shape, with a hard woody shell of a reddish-brown color, and 

 covered with wart-like protuberances. The nuts are pleasant to eat, and yield, 

 by expression, an oil called Piquia oil, which possesses the flavor of the fruit. 



93. Caryophylltjs aromaticus. — This myrtaceous plant produces the well-known 

 spice called cloves. It forms a beautiful evergreen, rising from 20 to 30 feet 

 in height. The cloves of commerce are the unexpanded flower-buds; they 

 are collected by beating the tree with rods, when the buds, from the jointed 

 character of their stalks, readily fall, and are received on sheets spread on 

 purpose; they are then dried in the sun. All parts of the plant are aromatic, 

 from the presence of a volatile oil. The oil is sometimes used in toothache 

 and as a carminative in medicine. 



93. Caryota urens. — This fine palm is a native of Ceylon, and is also found in other 



parts of India, where it supplies the native population with various impor- 

 tant articles. Large quantities of toddy, or palm-wine, are prepared from 

 the juice, which, when boiled, yields very good palm sugar or jaggery, and 

 also excellent sugar candy. Sago is also prepared from the central or pithy 

 part of the trunk, and forms a large portion of the food of the natives. The 

 fiber from the leaf stalk is of great strength; it is known as Kittool fiber, 

 and is used for making ropes, brushes, brooms, etc. A woolly kind of scruf , 

 scraped off the leaf stalks, is used for calking boats, and the stem furnishes 

 a small quantity of wood. 



94. Casimiroa edulis. — A Mexican plant, belonging to the orange family, with a 



fruit about the size of an ordinary orange, which has an agreeable taste, but 

 is not considered to be wholesome. The seeds are poisonous; the bark is bit- 

 ter, and is sometimes used medicinally. 



95. Cassia acutifolia.— The cassias belong to the leguminous family. The leaf- 



lets of this and some other species produce the well-known drug called senna. 

 That known as Alexandria senna is produced by the above. East Indian 

 senna is produced by O. elongata. Aleppo senna is obtained from O. dbovata. 

 The native species, C. marylandica, possesses similar properties. The seeds 

 of C. absus, a native of Egypt, are bitter, aromatic, and mucilaginous, and 

 are used as a remedy for ophthalmia. C. fistula is called the Pudding-Pipe 

 tree, and furnishes the cassia pods of commerce. The seeds of G. oceidentahs, 

 when roasted, are used as a substitute for coffee in the Mauritius and in the 

 interior of Africa. 



96. Castilloaelastica. — This is a Mexican tree, which yields a milky juice, form- 



ing caoutchouc, but is not collected for commerce except in a limited, way. 



97. Castjarina quadrivalvis. — This Tasmanian tree produces a very hard wood of 



a reddish color, often called Beef wood. It is marked with dark stripes, and 

 is much used in some places for picture frames and cabinetwork. This be- 

 longs to a curious family of trees having no leaves, but looking like a gigantic 

 specimen of Horse-tail grass, a weed to be seen in wet places. 



98. Catha edulis. — This plant is a native of Arabia, where it attains the height of 



7 to 10 feet. Its leaves are used by the Arabs in preparing a beverage like tea 

 or coffee. The twigs, with leaves attached, in bundles of fifty, and in pieces 

 from 12 to 15 inches in length, form a very considerable article of commerce, 

 its use in Arabia corresponding to that of the Paraguay tea in South America 

 and the Chinese tea in Europe. The effects produced by a decoction of the 

 leaves of Caf fca, as they are termed, are described as similar to those produced 

 by strong green tea, only more pleasing and agreeable. The Arab soldiers chew 

 the leaves when on sentry duty to keep them from feeling drowsy. Its use is of 

 great antiquity, preceding that of coffee. Its stimulating effects induced some 

 Arabs to class it with intoxicating substances, the use of which is forbidden 

 by the Koran, but a synod of learned Mussulmans decreed that, as it did not 

 impair the health or impede the observance of religious duties, but only in- 

 creased hilarity and good humor, it was lawful to use it. 



99. Cecropia pelt ata.— The South American trumpet tree, so called because its 



hollow branches are used for musical instruments. The Waupe Indians form 



