34 



339. Photinia japonica.— The Japanese Medlar, or Chinese Lo-quat. It bears a 



small oval fruit of an orange color when ripe, having a pleasant subacid 

 flavor. It stands ordinary winters in this climate, and forms a fine ever- 

 green, medium-sized tree. 



340. Physostigma venbnosum.— A strong leguminous plant, the seeds of which 



are highly poisonous, and are employed by the natives of Old Calabar as 

 an ordeal. Persons suspected of witchcraft or other crimes are compelled 

 to eat them until they vomit or die, the former being regarded as proof of 

 innocence, and the latter of guilt. Recently the s^eds have been found 

 to act powerfully in diseases of the eye. 



341. Phytelephas macrocarpa. —The vegetable ivory plant, a native of the north- 



ern parts of South America. The fruit consists of a collection of six or 

 seven drupes; each contains from six to nine seeds, the vegetable ivory of 

 commerce. The seeds at first contain a clear, insipid liquid; afterwards 

 it becomes milky and sweet, and changes by degrees until it becomes hard 

 as ivory. Animals eat the fruit in its young green state; a sweet oily pulp 

 incloses the seeds, and is collected and sold in the markets under the name 

 of Pipa de Jagua. Vegetable ivory may be distinguished from animal 

 ivory by means of sulphuric acid, which gives a bright red color with the 

 vegetable ivory, but none with the animal ivory. 



342. Picrasma excelsa. — This yields the bitter wood known as Jamaica Quassia. 



The tree is common in Jamaica, where it attains the height of 50 feet. The 

 wood is of a whitish or yellow color, and has an intensely bitter taste. 

 Although it is used as a medicine in cases of weak digestion, it acts as a 

 narcotic poison on some animals, and the tincture is used as fly poison. 

 Cups made of this wood, when filled with water and allowed to remain for 

 soma time, will impart tonic properties to the water. 



343. Pinokneya pubens. — This cinchonaceous plant is a native of the Southern 



States and has a reputation as an antiperiodic. It is stated that incom- 

 plete examinations have detected cinchonine in the bark. It has been used 

 successfully as a substitute for quinine. A thorough examination of this 

 plant seems desirable so that its exact medical value may be ascertained. 



344. Piper betel. — This plant belongs to the Piperaceae. Immense quantities of 



the leaves of this plant are chewed by the Malays. It tinges the saliva a 

 bright red and acts as a powerful stimulant to the digestive organs and sal- 

 ivary glands; when swallowed it causes giddiness and other unpleasant 

 symptoms in persons unaccustomed to its use. 



345. PrPER nigrum. — This twining shrub yields the pepper of commerce. It is cul- 



tivated in the East and West Indies, Java, etc., the Malabar being held in 

 the highest esteem. The fruit when ripe is of a red color, but it is gathered 

 before being fully ripe and dried in the sun, when it becomes black and 

 shriveled. White pepper is the same fruit with the skin removed. When 

 analyzed, pepper is found to contain a hot acrid resin and a volatile oil, as 

 well as a crystalline substance called piperin, which has been recom- 

 mended as a substitute for quinine. 



346. Pistacia lentiscus. — The mastic tree, a native of southern Europe, northern 



Africa, and western Asia. Mastic is the resin of the tree and is obtained 

 by making transverse incisions in the bark, from which it exudes in drops 

 and hardens into small semitransparent tears. It is consumed in large 

 quantities by the Turks for chewing to strengthen the gums and sweeten 

 the breath. It is also used for varnishing. 



347. Pistacia terebinthus. — The Cyprus turpentine tree. The turpentine flows 



from incisions made in the trunk and soon becomes thick and tenacious, 

 and ultimately hardens. Galls gathered from this tree are used for tanning 

 purposes, one of the varieties of morocco leather being tanned with them. 



348. Pistacia vera.— The pistacia tree, which yields the eatable pistachio nuts. It 



is a native of western Asia. The nuts are greatly eaten by the Turks and 

 Greeks, as well as in the south of Europe, either simply dried like almonds 

 or made into articles of confectionery. 

 319. Pithecolobium saman.— This leguminous plant yields eatable pods, which are 

 fed to cattle in Brazil. Some Mexican species produce pods that are boiled 

 and eaten, and certain portions contain saponaceous properties. The pods 

 are sometimes called Manilla tamarinds. The leaves of this tree fold closely 

 up at night, so that they do not prevent the radiation of heat from the sur- 

 face of the ground, and dew is therefore deposited underneath its branches. 

 The grass on the surface of the ground underneath this tree being thus wet 



