DAPIINALES. 



491 



FiQ. 393. 



Fia. 393. 



Bcbhmeria nivea. tbe China Grass or Ramie, a perennial herbaceous 

 plant, may fairly rival Flax in the fine and durable fibres it produces. 

 It has been introduced into the Southern United States and California. 

 There is still some difficulty in separating the fibres from the woody 

 portions of the plant, and this has prevented its more extensive use. 



The Stinging Nettles include ten genera, of which the most impor- 

 tant are Urtica, which includes our common species, and Laportea, 

 represented by our Wood Nettle ; to the latter belongs the Tree Nettle, 

 L. gigas, of Australia, which reaches a height of Irom fifteen to forty 

 metres (50 to 130 ft.), and whose sting is so severe as to produce dan- 

 gerous results. 



Fies. 393-7.— Illusteatiohs or Uktioa itkbns. 



577. — Cohort 

 IX. Daphnales. 



Mostly shrubs or 

 trees, with mono- 

 clinous flowers ; 

 ovary superior, 

 one-celled, with a 

 single seed con- 

 taining no endo- 

 sperm. 



Order Protea- 

 cese. — A family of 

 about 1000 species, 

 confined almost en- 

 tirely to the South- 

 ern Hemisphere, and 

 occurring in greatest 

 abundance in A us- 

 tralia and South 

 Africa. Many spe- 

 cies, especially of the 



genus Bankda, are cultivated in conservatories, 

 ble timber. 



Orevillea robusta, the Silk Oak of Australia, attains a height of 

 twenty-four to thirty metres (80 to 100 ft.), with a diameter of two 

 metres or more, and supplies valuable timber. 



Knightia exeelsa is a valuable New Zraland timber tree thirty metres 

 (100 ft.) or more in height. 



Leucadendron argenteiim, the Silver Tree of the Cape of Good Hope, 

 has silvery lanceolate leaves ; its wood is much used for fuel. 



Protea grandiflora, the " Wageu-boom " of the same region, is used 

 by wheelwrights in the manufacture of wagon wheels. 



Order Elseagnaceee. — A small order, of sixteen species, of trees or 



Pia. 394. 



Fig. 395. 

 Pig. 392.— Male flower. Magnified 

 Fig. .393.— Diagram of male flower. 

 Fig. 394.— Female flower. Magnified. 

 Fig. 395.— Diagram of female flower. 

 Fig 396.— Seed. Magnifled. 

 Fig' 397.— Section of seed. Magnifltd. 





Fig. 396. Fig. 397 



A few furnish valua- 



