MALVALE8. 



545 



superior, generally three- to many-celled ; seeds mostly with 

 endosperm. 



Order Tiliaceae. — The Linden Family. Trees and slirubs (a few 

 herbs), with mostly alternate simple leaves ; stamens distinct, or some- 

 •what united below. Species 



330, mostly tropical. 



Tilia Miropcea, the Lime 

 or Linden Tree of Europe 

 and Siberia, is a large and 

 valuable tree, yielding a soft 

 white wood much esteemed 

 by carvers, musical instru- 

 ment makers, and others. 

 The fibre of its bark is ue°'' 

 for making coarse mats, a 

 its flowers produce a grt 

 quantity of most excelle 

 honey. 



T. Americana, the Ami 

 lean Linden, Linn, or Ba 

 wood of the Eastern Unit 

 States, resembles the preced- 

 ing, and is equally valuable. 



While the wood of our rep- 

 resentatives of the order is 

 soft, that of some tropical 

 species is very hard — e.g., 

 Sloanea dentata, a West In- 

 dian tree, which has received 

 the significant name of 

 Break-Ax Tree. 



Corchonis capsula/ris, a tall- 

 growing annual of India, 

 yields the Jute fibre now ex- 

 tensively used in making 

 gunny bags, coarse carpets, 

 and even fabrics of consider- 

 able fineness. 



Fias. 511-513.- 



-Illustkations or Theobko- 

 ni. Cacao. 



Fio. 513. 



Pia. 511. 



Fig. 511.— Prnit 0g natural Bize). 



Fiar. 612.— Seed. Magnifled. 



Fig. 513.— Seed cut vertically. Magnified. 



Order Sterculiacese. — 

 Trees and shrubs (a few 

 herbs) with alternate simple 

 or compound leaves ; stamens more or less united into a tube. The 

 520 species contained in this order are al most entirely tropical. 



Theobroma Cacao, the Chocolate Tree of tropical America, attains a 

 height of five to six metres (16 to 30 ft.), and bears elongated ribbed 



