ACHOCON OF ECONOMIC PLAKTS. 3 



of the tanner. In South. Europe and Western Syria the genus 

 is represented by A. JuUirissin and A. Farnesiana, small trees 

 with compound winged leaves ; the &st is said to extend east- 

 ward as far as China; it was introduced to Kew in 1745, and is 

 perfectly hardy, three original plants having withstood the cold 

 of January 1838, and producing heads of pink flowers yearly. 

 A. Farnesiana is a small tree, with compound winged leaves, 

 and globose heads of yellow, highly odoriferous flowers. There 

 is much uncertainty as to the native country of this tree ; in 

 HoTtus Keioensis it is said to be a native of San Domingo, and 

 introduced into Europe by John Tradescant in 1656 ; it, how- 

 ever, appears to have been cultivated at Eome earlier than the 

 above date, for it is noticed in a book published at Eome in 

 1625, entitled AlUni Eort Farnesiana; and about 1763-65, 

 Linnaeus, in Sort. IPpsalensis, described and named it Mimosa 

 Farnesiana, which was afterwards, by Wildenow (1805), placed 

 in his genus Acacia. The tree is now common in the South of 

 Europe, both wild and cultivated. Another remarkable point 

 in the character of this plant is that it grows abundantly in the 

 valley of the Dead Sea, and there it is covered with the parasite 

 {Loranthus acacim), which has beautiful scarlet flowers in such 

 abundance as at a distance to give to the trees the appearance 

 of being on fire. In Italy its sweet-scented flowers are mixed 

 with melted fat or olive oil, wliich becomes impregnated with 

 their odour, and constitutes the fine pomade called Cassie. The 

 plant is also largely cultivated on the flower-farms at Grasse 

 and Cannes for perfumery purposes generally. 



Acacia, False, (See Locust Trees.) 



Acanthus, Spiny (AcantMs spinosiis), a strong - growing 

 perennial herb of the Acanthus family (Acanthacese), native of 

 Italy. Eecorded to have been introduced to this country in 1629. 

 It has large, jagged, spiny leaves, a foot or more in length, which 

 are said to have furnished Calimanthus with the model for the 

 capital of the column of the Corinthian order of architecture. 



Achocon, a name in Peru for Leoma glycycarpa. A large 

 tree of the Violet family (Violaceee), native of Peru. It has 



