286 BICTION-AEY OP POPULAE NAMES NETTLE 



forests in some parts of the United States, having eatable fruit 

 about tlie size of a pea. 



Nettle Tree, Australian. — There are many species of arbor- 

 escent tree nettles, one of the most conspicuous being Urtica 

 (jigas, a tree of ISTew South "Wales, which attains a height of 

 from 70 to 80 feet. The trunk is often swollen at the base, 

 forming buttresses many feet in diameter. It has large heart- 

 shaped leaves, the effects of which (when touched) are not easily 

 forgotten ; cattle coming in contact with them become furious. 

 The wood is porous, and even lighter than cork. U. pliotiniphylla 

 is a large much -branched tree, native of Queensland, having 

 elliptical shining leaves with scattered irritant prickles. U, 

 moToides is a thick-stemed tree with small cordate leaves, native 

 of tropical Australia, a most virulent stinger. The three species 

 were introduced into Kew about sixty years ago. 



Ngai Camphor. {See Camphor.) 



Nibung, or Wibong, the Malayan name for Oncosperma 

 filamentosa^ a tall, slender, smooth-stemmed, wing-leaved palm, 

 attaining a height of 40 to 50 feet. It differs but little from 

 Areca. It is the cabbage palm of Borneo. The stems are used 

 for posts in house-building, and when split for rafters, etc. 



Nicaragua-wood, the w^ood of Cccsal'pmia eclmiata, (See 

 Sappan-wood ) 



Nicker Nuts. (See Bonduc ) 



Niger-seed Oil. (See Eamtil Oil.) 



Nightshade, Deadly (Atropa lelladonna), a strong-growing 

 perennial of the Potato family (Solanacese), native of this country 

 and throughout Europe. It attains a height of about 3 feet, 

 having broad oval leaves of a lurid colour, and a heavy mawkish 

 smell, and solitary flowers of a brownish yellow, which are suc- 

 ceeded by a black berry closely seated on the wide-spreading 

 calyx ; it is about the size of a small cherry, and when ripe has 

 a glistening and enticing appearance and sweetish taste, bu.t is 

 extremely poisonous, fatal consequences having occurred through 

 its being sold by mistake, even in the streets of London, for 

 blackberries. The whole plant is poisonous, the principle of 



