370 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



fleshy drupe. Contains the family Palmae, a large family of 1,000 species, of 

 which the most important palms are as follows : The date palm (Phoenix 

 dactylifera) of Asia and North Africa, now cultivated in warmer regions of 

 Europe, California and Arizona, and an important article of commerce in 

 North Africa; the Corypha which furnishes sago, fiber, and a seed which is 

 used as a substitute for coffee; and the Washingtonia of Southern California, 

 frequently cultivated. Vegetable wax is derived from Copernicia cerifera. 

 The wine palms {Raphia vinifera and R. pedwiculata of eastern Africa), 

 furnish raphia fiber. The Metroxylon Rumphii of the South Sunda Islands 

 furnishes sago. The betel-nut palm (Areca Catechu) is much used as a nar- 

 cotic, the poison derived from this being known as arecain, half a grain of 

 which is sufficient to kill a rabbit in a few minutes. It acts upon the heart and 

 influences respiration causing tetanic convulsions ; it also causes a contraction of 

 the pupil of the eye. It is used to some extent as a vermifuge and in India 

 and the Islands of the Pacific it is applied as an external remedy. The nut 

 contains the alkaloids, arecoUn, arecain, arecaidin, and guvacin, which are used 

 as vermifuges for dogs. The orange colored fruit is about the size of a hen's 

 egg. When the nut is wrapped in quicklime and used, it imparts a red color 

 to the saliva; it injures the teeth, aind eventually destroys them. The resinous 

 exudation from dragon's hlood, (.I^aemonorops Draco) of the East Indies is 

 used in the manufacture of paints and varnishes. The oil from the oil palm 

 (Blaeis guineensis) of West Africa and eastern South America is an important 

 article of commerce. The cocoa-nut palm (Cocos nucifera) in tropical countries, 

 especially the Islands of the Pacific, is an important article of food. The milk 

 is the endosperm. The juice in the nut before maturity is unwholesome, being 

 strongly diuretic and likely to cause serious results when taken into the sys- 

 tem. A fermented drink is made from the juice of the plant which causes 

 obesity and premature old age. A fiber known as ceir is made from the husks. 

 Vegetable ivory {Phytelephas macrocarpa) of tropical countries, is a well known 

 article of commerce. "Tuba" or Philippine toddy is made from the sap of 

 the flowering spadix of Nipa fruticans. Toddy is also made from the juice of 

 Arenga pinnatus, a plant which also furnishes an almost imperishable fiber. 

 The "Royal Palm" is the "Yagua" (Roystoiica borinquena) of Porto Rico, the 

 sheathing bases of the leaves of which are used in thatching and siding the 

 houses of the poor. An oil is produced from the husk and nut-like seeds of 

 the Acrocomia or corozo palm which is distributed through tropical America 

 from Mexico and Cuba to Paraguay. 



SPATHIFLORAE 



Mostly fleshy herbs with endogenous stems, or thalloid floating plants; 

 flowers generally in a fleshy spadix subtended by a spathe or naked, or a few 

 solitary flowers on thfe margin or back of the thalloid structure. 



ARACEAE. Arum Family 



Herbs with pungent juice; leaves with long, slender petioles and abounding 

 in raphides; flowers borne in densely-flowered fleshy spadix, subtended or en- 

 closed by the spathe ; rootstock tuberous ; floral envelopes none or of 4-6 sepals ; 

 stamens 4-10; filaments short; anthers 2-celled; ovary 1 -several-celled; ovules 

 1-several in each cell ; fruit a berry ; seeds various, with 2 coats, the outer 

 fleshy; endosperm abundant or none. About 900 species of wide distribution. 



