258 SELECT PLANTS POK INDUSTRIAL CULTURE 



Fritchardia filamentosa, Wendland. 



Southern California, where this Pahn attains a height of 50 

 feet. 



Priva Isevis, Jnssieu. 



Chili and the Argentine Republic. A perennial herb, the 

 small tubers of which can be used for food (Philippi) . 



Prosopis dulcis, Kunth, 



From Texas to the southern parts of the La Plata States. 

 Vernacularly known as the Cashaw or Algaroba Tree. A thorny 

 shrub, growing finally to a tree, attaining a stem of 1 foot- 

 in diameter, adapted for live-fences. The wood is durable and 

 of extraordinaiy strength. This is one of the species yielding 

 the sweetish Algaroba-pods for cattle fodder, and utilised even 

 in some instances for human food. Argentina Algaroba-pods 

 contain, according to Sievert, 25 to 28 per cent, grape sugar, 

 11 to 17 per cent, starch, 7 to 11 per cent, protein, of organic 

 acids, pectin and other non-nitrogenous nutritive substances 

 14 to 24 per cent. They are also comparatively rich in potash, 

 lime, and phosphoric acid. A sparkling drink called Aloja is 

 made of the fruits. This and some alHed species yield the 

 Algarobylla bark for tanning ; the leaves contain according to 

 Sievert 21 per cent, tannin. The pods also of several species 

 are rich in tannic acid. Mere varieties according to Bentham 

 are : P. horrida, P. juliflora, P. siliquastrum, P. glandulosa, 

 The latter variety exudes a gum not unlike gum-arabic, and 

 this is obtained so copiously that children could earn two to 

 three dollars a day in Texas while gathering it, latterly about 

 40,000 lbs. being bought by druggists there. The tree attains 

 a height of 30 feet, and its wood is excessively hard. A 

 short communication on the American Algaroba Tree was 

 presented to the Parliament of Victoria by the writer in 1871. 

 Pods of some Prosopis used as fodder have caused the death 

 of horses in Jamaica. 



Prosopis pubescens, Bentham. h 



Texas, California, New Mexico. Likely available for hedges, 

 with other species of other countries. 



Prosopis spicigera, Linne. 



India, extending to Persia. A thorny tree, also with edible 

 pods, possibly hardy. It attains a height of 60 feet, but is 

 of slow growth. Serves for head-lines. It can be chosen for 

 desert land (Kurz) . 



