15 



larger, and then dried in the sun. Cinnamon is much used as a condiment 

 for its pleasant flavor, and its astringent properties are of medicinal value. 

 It is cultivated largely in Ceylon. The cinnamon tree is too tender to be- 

 come of commercial importance in the United States. Isolated plants may 

 be found in southern Florida, at least it is so stated, but the area suited to 

 its growth must be very limited. 



120. Cissampblos pareira. — The velvet plant of tropical countries. The root fur- 



nishes the Pareira brava of druggists, which is used in medicine. 



121. Citrus aurantium. — The orange, generally supposed to be a native of the 



north of India. It was introduced into Arabia during the ninth century. It 

 was unknown in Europe in the eleventh century. Oranges were cultivated 

 at Seville towards the end of the twelfth century, and at Palermo in the 

 thirteenth. In the fourteenth century they were plentiful in several parts 

 of Italy. There are many varieties of the orange in cultivation. The blood 

 red, or Malta, is much esteemed; the fruit is round, reddish-yellow outside 

 and the pulp irregularly mottled with crimson. The Mandarin or Tanger- 

 ine orange has a thin rind which separates easily from the pulp, and is very 

 sweet and rich. The St. Michael's orange is one of the most productive and 

 delicious varieties, with a thin rind and very sweet pulp. The Seville or 

 bitter orange is used for the manufacture of bitter tincture and candied 

 orangeTpeel. The Bergamot orange has peculiarly fragrant flowers and 

 fruit, from each of which an essence of a delicious quality is extracted. 



122. Citrus dbcumana.— The shaddock, which has the largest fruit of the family. 



It is a native of China and Japan, where it is known as sweet ball. The 

 pulp is acid or subacid, and in some varieties nearly sweet. From the thick- 

 ness of the skin the fruit will keep a considerable time without injury. 



123. Citrus JAPONICA. — This is the Kum-quat of the Chinese. It forms a small 



tree, or rather a large bush, and bears fruit about the size of a large cherry. 

 There are two forms, one bearing round fruits, the other long, oval fruits. 

 This fruit has a sweet rind and an agreeably acid pulp, and is usually eaten 

 whole without being peeled. It forms an excellent preserve, with sugar, 

 and is largely used in this form. 



124. Citrus limetta. — The lime, which is used for the same purposes as the lemon, 



and by some preferred, the juice being considered more wholesome and the 

 acid more agreeable. Thei'e are several varieties, some of them being sweet 

 and quite insipid. 



125. Citrus limonum. — The lemon; this plant is found growing naturally in that 



part of India which is beyond the Ganges. It was unknown to the ancient 

 Greeks and Romans. It is supposed to have been brought to Italy by the 

 Crusaders. Arabian writers of the twelfth century notice the lemon as 

 being cultivated in Egypt and other places. The varieties of the lemon are 

 very numerous and valued for their agreeable acid juice and essential oil. 

 They keep for a considerable time, especially if steeped for a short period 

 in salt water. 



126. Citrus medica. — The citron, found wild in the forests of northern India. The 



Jews cultivated the citron at the time they were under subjection to the 

 Romans, and used the fruit in the Feast of the Tabernacles. There is no 

 proof of their having known the fruit in the time of Moses, but it is supposed 

 that they found it at Babylon, and brought it into Palestine. The citron 

 is cultivated in China and Cochin-China. It is easily naturalized and the 

 seeds are rapidly spread. In its wild state it grows erect; the branches are 

 spiny, the flowers purple on the outside and white on the inside. The fruit 

 furnishes the essential oil of citron and the essential oil of cedra. There are 

 several varieties; the fingered citron is a curious fruit, and the Madras cit- 

 ron is very long and narrow; the skin is covered with protuberances. 



127. Clusia rosea. — A tropical plant which yields abundantly of a tenacious resin 



from its stem, which is used for the same purpose as pitch. It is first of a 

 green color, but when exposed to the air it assumes a brown or reddish tint. 

 The Caribs use it for painting the bottoms of their boats. 



128. Coccoloba uvifera. — Known in the West Indies as the seaside grape, fiom 



the peculiarity of the perianth, which becomes pulpy and of a violet color 

 and surrounds the ripe fruit. The pulpy perianth has an agreeable acid 

 flavor. An astringent extract is prepared from the plant which is used in 

 medicine. 



129. Cocos nucipera. — The cocoanut palm. This palm is cultivated throughout 



the tropics so extensively that its native country is not known. One reason 



