302 POPULAR ECONOMIC BOTANY, 



few medicinal preparations. About 10 tons were imported 

 in 1853, from the East Indies. 



Gum Styrax or Stoeax. — Another odoriferous gum- 

 resin, the produce of Styrax officinale (Nat. Ord. Styracece). 



There are several varieties of this gum, all the produce of 

 Turkey in Asia, where the gum exudes naturally through 

 punctures made in the bark by insects ; the bark is also cut 

 for the purpose. It is either liquid or solid ; the former 

 is thicker than treacle, of a greyish colour and agreeable 

 vanilla odour ; the solid is in large cakes of a reddish-brown 

 colour. It is very easily broken, and consists of a coarse 

 sawdust-like powder of reddish-brown colour. It contains 

 about four-fifths of sawdust, and it appears most probable it 

 is nothing more than the liquid storax mixed with sufficient 

 sawdust to divide it thoroughly and so dry it, after which 

 the saturated sawdust is pressed into cakes. It is seldom 

 used except by perfumers, and is but very rarely imported. 



Agra-Agra, Ceylon Moss. Plocaria Candida or Fucus 

 amylaceus. The former name has been lately adopted. 

 (Nat. Ord. Alga.) 



This seaweed is occasionally imported in considerable 

 quantities for the purpose of making a jelly for dressing silks. 

 It is in the form of thin, very much branched pieces; the 





