MONOCOTYLEDONES. 179 



bottoms, umbrellas, etc. Dragon's Blood, used for color- 

 ing varnishes and staining horn, is a secretion coiitiiig 

 the surface of the small fruits of Calamus Draco, which 

 grows in the same region with C. Rotang. The Sago 

 Palms {Sagu8 Icevis, and S. Rumphii) are natives of Siam, 

 Indian Archipelago, etc. The soft, white pith taken from 

 the trunks is thrown into tanks of water, in which it is 

 washed and strained till a pure pulpy paste is obtained. It 

 is preserved under water by the natives, who use it for food. 

 For exportation it is dried, and granulated through sieves. 

 The Betel-nut, or Piuang, of the far East, is a fruit of the 

 size of a hen's egg, produced by the Betel Palm {Areca 

 Catechu). It is cut into pieces, and rolled up in a leaf of 

 Betel-pepper, with lime, gambler, etc., and chewed, as 

 tobacco in this country. The Wax Palm (Ceroxylon 

 andicola) grows on the mountain sides, nearly to the snow 

 limits. A resinous wax is scraped off from the trunk, and 

 used by the natives in making candles. The stems of 

 several species of Climbing Palms (Cluimcedorea) of New 

 Granada are used in making suspension bridges. A Sago 

 Palm, of the Malayan Archipelago (Saguerus saccharifer), 

 has enormous pinnate leaves (sometimes forty feet long) ; 

 from the juice, which flows from the wounded spadix, sugar 

 is obtained. In the Southeastern United States grow the 

 Cabbage Palmetto (Sabal Palmetto), the Sun Palmetto (/S. 

 semdata), and the Blue Palmetto (ChanifBrops Hysirix); 

 and in California and Arizona, Washwgtonia filijera. 



8. Dioscoreaceae. The Yam family has twining 

 stems, ribbed and netted-veined leaves, and small dioecious, 

 regular flowers, with a calyx-like, six-parted perianth, and 

 a three-celled ovary, with three distinct stylos. There are 

 about one hundred and fifty species, growing mostly in the 



