300 POPULAR ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



much so, that those faeces of the whale which constitute 

 the much-admired and valuable perfume called ambergris 

 are believed to originate solely from the animal feeding upon 

 the Sepia, the comminuted bones of which are constantly 

 found in ambergris. 



Orrice or Iris Eoot. — The root of the Florentine Iris 

 (Iris Florentina, Nat. Ord. Iridacece). (Plate XVI. fig. 83.) 



This vegetable production, which is only used in perfu- 

 mery, is the rhizome or underground stem of the above spe- 

 cies of Iris, and probably also of /. pallida. It comes from 

 Italy, in flattened white pieces of very irregular shape, and 

 spotted with brownish spots; these are the points from 

 which the fibrous roots have been removed. Orrice root 

 possesses a beautiful violet odour, and is used principally 

 in the perfumed preparation of wheat-starch called Violet- 

 powder. Above five tons are annually imported. 



Calamus Root is the rhizome of the Sweet Flag, Acorus 

 aromaticus (Nat. Ord. Acoracecc). 



This plant has a most extensive geographical range, being 

 found in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. The 

 bulk of that which furnishes the supply of our markets is 

 from the banks of the Norfolk rivers, where it is indige- 

 nous and very plentiful ; it is however occasionally im- 



