376 THE NLT CULTUKIST. 



of South America, but now cultivated in other tropical 

 countries for its seeds, which yield an oil used for the 

 same purposes as castor oil, but rather more powerful 

 and drastic. The seeds have a nutty flavor, but are 

 rather dangerous if eaten in any considerable quantities, 

 and death has been known to follow excess in this 

 direction. , 



Physic nut. — In "Bartram's Travels," he refers 

 to a seed or nut of a plant he found growing in Florida 

 under this name, p. 41, as follows: "... some 

 very curious new shrubs and plants, particularly the 

 physic nut or Indian olive. The stems arise, many from 

 a root, two or three feet high ; the leaves sit opposite, 

 on very short petioles ; they are broad, lanceolate, entire 

 and undulated, having a smooth surface, of a deep green 

 color. From the bosom of each leaf is produced a sin- 

 gle oval drupe, standing erect on long slender stems ; it 

 has a large kernel and thin pulp. The fruit is yellow 

 when ripe, and about the size of an olive. The Indians, 

 when they go in pursuit of deer, carry this fruit with 

 them, supposing that it has the power of charming or 

 drawing- that creature to them, from whence, with 

 traders, it has obtained the name of physic nut, which 

 means, with them, charming, conjuring or fascinating." 



To what kind of fruit Bartram referred under the 

 name of "physic nut," is not certain, but his descrip- 

 tion of the plant comes very near that of the American 

 olive {Olea Americana), but the fruit of this and other 

 closely allied plants of the same family are not "yellow " 

 when ripe, but purple. 



PiGifUT, OR HOGJfUT. — See chapter on Hickory. 



Pike nut. — A name applied indiscriminately to 

 the many species of pine trees (Pinus) bearing seeds 

 large enough to be conveniently used as food. In south- 

 ern Europe, and especially in Italy and the south of 

 France, the seeds of the stone pine {Pinus Pinea) have 



