THYMELMAGEM.'. 121 



is similar, though generally less marked. The pericarp of Bois- 

 gentil is said to be poisonous for all animals except birds, which 

 among ns feed upon it. The seeds of Garou were formerly used in 

 the South as a purgative, under the name of Grana gnidia or Cocca 

 gnida, whence is supposed to be derived the vulgar name Coquenau- 

 dier. Its leaves, as also those of Laureola and Mesereum^oxe also 

 employed in decoction and in powder in rural districts ; they purge 

 in a less violent manner. Daphne contains likewise a colouring 

 matter. Garou is used in the south to dye wool yellow. A beau- 

 tiful yellow lac is also extracted from D, alpina and Laureola. 

 Passerina tinctoria also furnishes a dye of the same colour.' As 

 plants with a textile liber, the Thymelece still play a certain part in 

 practice. In Madagascar, cord and paper are made from the bark 

 of Gnidia daphnoefolia^ and paper from that of G. madagascariends? 

 Daphne Bholua and papyracea * in India, and D. cannabina and 

 chrysantha^ in China and Japan serve the same purpose. Har- 

 gasseria Lagetta^ and Lagetta calensuana'' in Cuba have a reticu- 

 lated tenaceous whitish liber resembling certain loose tissues ; but 

 the most beautiful and best known of these lace-woods is the liber of 

 Lagetta lintearia^ which, prepared by maceration and compression, 

 imitates net somewhat irregularly. Of it are made cuffs, collars 

 and cockades resembling lace, fine mats, and whips used to 

 ' chastise the negro slaves. In many of the Polynesian Isles, notably 

 in the Sandwich, the clothes of the natives have for a long time 

 consisted of the liber of Thymelece^ chiefly of Wikstroemia indica, 

 separated into leaves beaten and compressed with special imple- 

 ments, then smoothed and painted, fairly imitating coarse lace. In 

 Brazil Funifera utilis ^ is used to make mats and cordage. 



1 P, MUformia L. hirmta L. ciliata L. and ' Lamk. Diet. iii. 376, 440 ; Suppl. iii. 236 j 



villota L. are cited as evaouanis, as also StelUra III. t. 289. — Mek. et Del. Diet. Mat. Mid. iv. 



Chamasjamne L. 19. — Lindl. Fl. M4d. 323. — Hook. Kew Gard. 



' L. .p. Suppl. 225. — Laaiosiphon puleacma Misc. n.t.i; Bot.Mag. t. 4502. — Lindl. P«a;<. 



Done.— Meissn. Frodr. 697, n. 16. Fl. Gard. i. n. 60, o. ic— Lem. Jard. Fleiir. t. 



^ Dais Madagasearimaia Lamk. Skt. ii. 254, 19. — Meissn. Prodr. 626. — Endl. Fnchirid. 



III. t. 368 fig. 2. 209. — RoSENTH. op. eit. 242. — Lagetto Ltjnan, 



■• Wall, ex Steud. iVb»i««(!Z. 483. Jam. i. i73.— Daphne Lagetto Sw. Prodr. 63; 



5 D.PapyriferaBiEB.Act,Bat.ii^ 2i.— Edge- Fl. Ind. Oce. i. 680 {Lace-bark, Gauze-tree), 



worthia Ohryaantha Lindl. Journ. Mart. Soo. i. ' Leandko, MSS. C. A. Mej. Bull. Acad. 



148; Bot. Meg. (1847), t. iS.—K Papyrifera Pitersb. iv. u. 5.— Meissn. Mart. Fl. Bras. 



Zucc. in Abh. Baier. Ahad. iv. 199 {Mitsmata Thymel. 67 ; Prodr. 625, n. 1.— Daphne Braai- 



of the Japanese) . liensis Eabdi.— -0. Thereminii huoiZK.— Lagetta 



« Limdendron Lagetta Gbiseb. /((««y«cB Mart. etZcco. Nov. Gen. et Spec. i. 66, 



1 A. KiCH. Oui. xi. 193. t. 34 {Fmbira iranea). 



