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TEXTBOOK OF BOTANY 



ripe coconut, broken up and dried in tiie sun, is called copra, 

 and is one of the most important commercial products of the 

 islands of the south Pacific. It is from copra that coconut 

 oil is pressed. This oil is used in southern Asia and the East 

 Indies as a cooking and illuminating oil, and in other parts 

 of the world for cooking and in making candles and soap. 

 Among the numerous other vegetable oils that are put to 

 practical uses are those obtained from the sunflower, soy bean, 

 walnut, poppy seed, and almond. 



339. Waxes. — The waxy coating on the surfaces of leaves 

 and fruits is in some cases removed and used in various ways. 

 Thus the wax from the fruit of myrtle bushes, known as 

 myrtleberry or bayberry wax, is mixed with beeswax for use 

 in candle-making. Japan wax, from the fruit of some 

 Japanese sumachs, is used in a similar way, as weU as in 

 making furniture polish, wax matches, and waxed paper. 

 The wax from the leaves of some palms is also of commercial 

 importance. 



340. Gums and Resins. — These are obtained by drying 

 or otherwise treating the juices of plants. Gum arable 

 comes from trees of acacia species growing in Egypt, Arabia, 

 and neighboring countries ; gum Senegal from an acacia 

 that grows in northwestern Africa ; and other gums from 

 acacia trees in different parts of the world. Gum tragacanth 

 is from the stems of species of Astragalus. By boiling certain 

 seaweeds (marine algs) gelatine is obtained. Agar-agar 

 is a seaweed gelatine, much used in bacteriological cultures 

 and for similar purposes, as well as medicinally ; it comes 

 from eastern and southeastern Asia and the neighboring 

 islands. " Irish moss " is a gelatinous seaweed. 



Certain hard resins, used in making varnishes, are called 

 copals. There are many copals, usually named for the 

 locality from which they come. One of the best is Zanzibar 

 copal. It is obtained in part from li\'ing trees, but the best 

 is found in fossil form in the ground. The name gum dammar 



