80 



FOPULAE ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



plant. Instead of washing the starch from the pulp^ the 

 pulp is dried upon hot metal plates, and afterwards roughly 

 powdered ; this rough powder^ according to its fineness^ is 

 called by the various names above mentioned. It is much 

 used in the Brazils to make flat thin cakes^ like the oaten 

 cakes of Scotland^ which are known as Cassava bread ; very 

 large quantities of this preparation (Mandioca flour) are 

 imported and sent to the manufactories^ to serve as a sub- 

 stitute for common starch. The Portuguese name Farinha 

 is also often used in commerce to designate the varieties of 

 Mandioca meal. 



Tous LES Mors. — The produce of an unknown species 

 of Canna (Nat. Ord. Marantace(2) ; it is usually said to be 

 produced by Canna coccinea, from the rhizomes or under- 

 ground stems ; but the real species cannot be named with 

 certainty^ and its true history must remain to be determined 

 by future investigation. Many of the useful products of 

 the vegetable kingdom are enveloped in the same uncer- 

 tainty regarding their origin. 



Tous les Mois is very much like a fine quality of arrow- 

 root ; it is however very distinct when examined microsco- 

 pically, the particles being larger than those of any other 

 known fecula. It all comes from the island of St. Kitt% 



