MALTA Zm. 



645 



superior, generally three- to many-celled ; seeds mostly with 

 endosperm. 



endosperm. 



Order Tiliacese. — The Linden Family. Trees and sljrubs (a few 

 herbs), with mostly alternate simple leaves ; stamens distinct, or some- 

 what united below. Species 

 330 mostly tropical ^'™- 511-513.— Illtjstratiohs op Theobbo- 



m;- -n !■, r. MA OaOAO. 



Ilka Jmropcea, the Lime 

 or Linden Tree of Euro] 

 and Siberia, is a large at 

 valuable tree, yielding a so 

 white wood much esteeme 

 by carver's, musical instri 

 naent makers, and other 

 The fibre of its bark is usf 

 for making coarse mats, ar 

 its flowers produce a grei 

 quantity of most excellei 

 honey. ' 



T. Americana, the Ame 

 lean Linden, Linn, or Baa 

 wood of the Eastern Unite 

 States, resembles the precec 

 ing, and is equally valuable. 



While the wood of our rep- 

 resentatives of the order is 

 soft, that of some tropical 

 species is very hard — e.g., 

 Sloanea dentata, a West In- 

 dian tree, which has received 

 the significant name of 

 Break-Ax Tree. 



Corchorus eapsularia, a tall- 

 growing annual of India, 

 yields the Jute fibre now ex- 

 tensively used in making 

 gunny bags, coarse carpets, 

 and even fabrics of consider- 

 able fineness. 



Order Sterculiaceee. — 

 Trees and shrubs (a few 

 herbs) with alternate simple 



or compound leaves ; stamens more or less united into a tube, 

 530 species contained in tliis order are almost entirely tropical. 



Thedbroma Gaoao, the Chocolate Tree of tropical America, attains a 

 height of five to six metres (16 to 30 ft.), and bears elongated ribbed 



FiQ. 613. 



Fia. 511. 



Fig. Sri.— Prnit Qi natural size). 



Fi?. 512,— Seed. Magnifled. 



Fig. 618.— Seed cut vertically. Magnified. 



The 



