320 



It is unisexual, and will in favourable localities on rich, 

 river banks attain a height of 60 feet, with a stem 2 to 3 

 feet thick, thus becoming available as a timber -tree. Here 

 it is recorded as a hedge plant ; as such our own thorny 

 Madura Calcar Gralli (Moms Calcar Galli, A. Cunningh.) 

 of extra-tropical East Australia, which moreover possesses 

 small edible fruits, deserves attention for live fences. Neither 

 of the two is readily subject to blight or attacks of insects. 

 The latter produces suckers and from the root a yellow dye. 



Maharanga Emodi, A. de Candolle. 



Nepaul. The root produces like that of Alkanna tinctoria a 

 red dye. 



Mallotus Philippinensis, J. M. 



{Bottler a tinctoria, Roxburgh.) 



South Asia and East Australia, in jungle-country, extending 

 into New South Wales. Though not of great importance 

 this bush should not be passed on this occasion, inasmuch 

 as the powdery substance, investing the seed-capsules, con- 

 stitutes the Kamala, which can be employed not only as 

 an orange dye, but also as an anthelminthic remedy. The 

 Hindoo silk-dyers use it for an orange colour, obtained by 

 boiling the Kamala with carbonate of soda. 



Manihot Aipi, Pohl. 



The Sweet Cassava. Tropical South America, but traced as 

 far south as the Parana River. The root is reddish and 

 harmless ; it can therefore be used, unlike those of the fol- 

 lowing species, without any further preparations than boiling, 

 as a culinary esculent, irrespective of its starch being also 

 available for tapioca. Both are somewhat woody plants, 

 several feet high, and they are too important to be left 

 altogether unnoticed on this occasion, although we have no 

 evidence, that they will prove productive even in those parts 

 of Victoria, which are free of frost. The Aipi has ligneous 

 tough fibres, stretching along the axis of the tubers, while 

 generally the roots of the following species are free of this 

 central woody substance. 



