HYACINTH OF ECONOMIC PLANTS, 217 



from Humirium lalsamifera and -ff. Jlorihmdum, trees of the 

 Humiriad family (Humiriace^), natives of Brazil and Guiana ; 

 they attain a height of 30 to 40 feet, having a thick bark, 

 which when wounded yields a reddish balsamic juice smelling 

 like storax, which hardens and becomes brittle ; it is then burnt 

 as a perfume. It is also used medicinally for various complaints, 

 and the bark is used for flambeaux. The wood is of a red 

 colour and used for house-building, and is called Eedwood. 



Huon Pine (Dacrydium FranUinii), a large tree of the Yew 

 family (Taxaceae), native of Tasmania. The wood is very beauti- 

 fully marked, something like bird's-eye maple, and is conse- 

 q_uently much valued in Tasmania for cabinet-work. 



Hurtleberry, the fruit of Vacdnium Myrtilhis. (See Bil- 

 berry.) 



Husks of Scripture. (See Carob Tree.) 



Hutu, or Futu, the name in Tahiti and other islands for 

 Barringtonia sjpeciosa, a tree of the Anchovy Pear family (Bar- 

 ringtoniacese). It is a large branching tree, attaining a height 

 of 40 to 50 feet, and a girth of 10 to 14 feet; it has large, shining, 

 ovate, elliptical leaves, and bears a profusion of pink flowers. Its 

 fruit is four-sided and pear-shaped, about 3 inches across the 

 middle, and consists of solid fibrous matter, having only one 

 seed. When dry the fruit is used for fishing-floats. It is a 

 native of the Malayan, Polynesian, and other islands of the 

 Pacific Ocean, growing on the sea-shore. The fruits of this, 

 together with many similar buoyant fruits, are often carried with 

 the currents in the ocean, and cast on distant shores, where they 

 vegetate and establish themselves. It is a rare and handsome 

 plant in the hothouses in this country. 



Hya-Hya. {See Cow Tree.) 



Hyacinth {Eyaoinilms oTientalis), native of Syria and other 

 parts of Western Asia. It was introduced into tliis country 

 before the end of the sixteenth century, and is a favourite spring 

 flowering bulb of the Lily family (Liliacese), there being many 

 single and double varieties of various colours. It is extensively 

 cultivated at Haarlem in Holland, where there are large farms 



