THE BREAD FRUIT FAMILY. 



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Bread-nut Tree {Brosimum AUcastrum). A large tree, 

 native of the West Indies. It has lance-shaped leaves, and 

 fruit about the size of a plum, containing one nut- seed, which, 

 when roasted, is eatable. The wood has a fine grain like 

 mahogany. 



Letter-wood, Snake-wood, or Leopard-wood (Brosimum 

 Auhletii). Also a large tree, native of Tropical America, and 

 has been found in Trinidad. Its beautiful mottled and 

 streaked wood is much valued by cabinet-makers, and is 

 used for inlaying. 



Cow Tree (Galactodendron utile). This is the Palo de 

 Vaca or Cow-tree, first described by Humboldt. It is a 

 native of Venezuela, where it attains the height of from 80 to 

 100 feet and forms large forests; it has oblong pointed leaves, 

 of a rusty colour on the under side, and is strongly veined 

 and firm. On incisions being made in the trunk, a copious 

 flow of milky sap is obtained of a balmy flavour, which is ex- 

 tensively used by the natives as a substitute for milk, and has 

 been daily used by Europeans without producing any ill effects. 

 With this knowledge, and impressed with Humboldt's 

 comparing the trees to cows, an Englishman was led to 

 entertain the project of introducing and naturalizing them in 

 this country, thus conferring a great boon on the people ; 

 accordingly in 1830 he arrived in England with a great 

 number of trees, it was said 1000. To his philanthropic 

 views he added that of profit, and expected that his trees 

 would be eagerly purchased for a guinea each, but in this he 

 was disappointed, for few were bought, tree-cultivators being 

 aware that a forest-tree from Venezuela could only be 

 grown as a curiosity in a hothouse, which circumstance had 

 not been thought of by the speculator ; and further, it was 

 afterwards found that his trees were not " cow- trees," but 

 a species of Achras, as proved by one of the trees grown at 

 Kew. 



Upas Tree (Antiaris toxicaria). A tree, native of Java, 

 growing in low valleys that become filled to a certain depth 

 with carbonic acid gas, which, on any person entering proves 



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