DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 



153 



export from the Canaries. Some of the plants are gigantic in size, " the colossal 

 dragon tree at the town of Orotovia, in Teneriffe, heing 75 feet high and 48 feet in 

 circumference, with an antiquity which must at least he greater than the pyramids." 

 Structural Fiber. — Specimens received with the Victorian collection from the Mel- 

 bourne Botanic Garden, where it is thoroughly estahlished. Dr. Guilfoyle states that 

 "the ffber is strong and flexible, but the tree is of very slow growth." It is prepared 



Fig. 49. — Greenhouse plant of Draccena draco. 



from the leaves, and is white, fine, and lustrous, and between 18 inches and 2 feet in 

 length. It is not as strong, however, as the Cordyline libers, though much softer. 



Bernardin mentions four species: D. draco, J), mauritiana, I). margvnata, from Mau- 

 ritius, and D. terminalis, Sandwich Islands, known as Ti. Hillebrand refers this 

 8 pecies, however, to Cordyline, and states that the leaves are used in Hawaii as wrap- 

 pers for food, or for plates. Ti is the Tahitian name of the tree. 



"Specimens. — Mus. U. S. Dept. Ag. ; Bot. Mus. Karv. Univ. 



Dragon's blood tree (see Draccena). 



