18 



150. Cubeba officinalis.— A native of Java, which furnishes the cubeb fruits of 



commerce. These fruits are like black pepper, but stalked, and have an 

 acrid, hot, aromatic taste; frequently used medicinally. 



151. Cuecas purgans.— A tropical plant cultivated in many warm countries for 



the sake of its seeds, known as physic nuts. The juice of the plant, which 

 is milky, acrid, and glutinous, produces an indellible brown stain on linen. 

 The oil from the seeds is used for burning in lamps; and in paints. In 

 China it is boiled with oxide of iron and used as a varnish. Tt is also used 

 medicinally. 



152. Curcuma longa.— A plant belonging to the Zingiber acece, the roots of which 



furnish turmeric. This powder is used in India as a mild aromatic, and 

 for other medicinal purposes. It also enters into the composition of curry- 

 powder, and a sort of arrow root is made from the young tubers. 



153. Curcuma zedoaria.— This plant furnishes zedoary tubers, much used in India 



as aromatic tonics. 



154. Cyathea medullaris. — This beautiful tree fern is a native of Australia, 



where it attains a height of 25 to 30 feet, having fronds from 10 to 15 feet in 

 length. It contains a pulpy substance in the center of the stem, of a starchy, 

 mucilaginous nature, which is a common article of food with the natives. 

 The trees have to be destroyed in order to obtain it. 



155. Cybistax antisyphilitica.— A plant of the order of Bignoniacece, called 



Atunyangua in the Andes of Peru, where the inhabitants dye their cotton 

 clothes by boiling them along with the leaves of this plant; the dye is a per- 

 manent blue. The bark of the young shoots is much employed in medicine. 



156. Cycas revoluta. — The sago palm of gardens. The stem of the plants 



abounds in starch, which is highly esteemed in Japan. A gum exudes from 

 the trunk of the old plant, which is employed medicinally by the natives of 

 India. 



157. Cycas circinalis. — A native of Malabar, where a kind of sago is prepared 



from the seeds, which are dried and powdered; medicinal properties are also 

 attributed to the seeds. 



158. Dacrydium franklinii. — Called Huon pine, because of its being found near 



the Huon River, in Tasmania. It belongs to the yew family. It furnishes 

 valuable timber, very durable, and is used for ship and house building ; 

 some of the wood is very beautifully marked, and is used in furniture mak- 

 ing and cabinetwork. 



159. Dalbergia sissoo. — A tree of northern India, the timber of which is known 



as Sissum wood. This wood is strong, tenacious, and compact, much used 

 for railway ties and for gun-carriages. 



160. Damara australis. — A singular plant of the Coniferce family, called the 



Kauri pine. It forms a tree 150 to 200 feet in height, and produces a hard, 

 brittle resin-like copal, which is used in varnish. 



161. Dasylirion acrotrichum.— A plant of the pineapple family, from Mexico. 



The leaves contain a fine fiber, whiph may be ultimately more extensively 

 utilized than it is at present. 



162. Desmodium gyrans. — An interesting plant of the pea family, called the mov- 



ing plant, on account of the rotatory motion of the leaflets. These move in 

 all conceivable ways, either steadily or by jerks. Sometimes only one leaf or 

 two on the plant will be affected ; at other times a nearly simultaneous 

 movement may be seen in all the leaves. These movements are most ener- 

 getic when the thermometer marks about 80°. This motion is not due to 

 any external or mechanical irritation . 



163. Dialium acutifolium. — The velvet tamarind, so called, from the circum- 



stance that its seed-pods are covered with a beautiful black velvet down . 

 The seeds are surrounded by a farinaceous pulp of an agreeable acid taste. 



164. Dialium indum. — The tamarind plum, which has a delicious pulp of slightly 



acid flavor. 



165. Dicksonia Antarctica. — The large fern tree of Australia. This plant attains 



the height of 30 or more feet, and its fronds or leaves spread horizontally 

 some 20 to 25 feet. It is found in snowy regions, and would be perfectly 

 hardy south. It is one of the finest objects of the vegetable kingdom when 

 of sufficient size to show its true beauties. 



166. Dieffenbachia seguina.— This has acquired the name of dumb cane, in con- 



sequence of its fleshy, cane-like stems, rendering speechless any person 



