226 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



fatal to life. The Upas tree was blamed as being the cause 

 of this. The tree is, however, not harmless, as evil effects 

 have been experienced after handling the leaves and 

 branches. 



Sack Tree {Antians saccidora). A large tree, native of 

 Western India, having a very tough, close, fibrous bark, the 

 inner portion of which is converted into sacks ; this is accom- 

 plished by cutting trees in lengths the size wanted, and 

 pulling the bark over the wood ; thus a complete sack is at 

 once obtained. 



Antiaris Bennettii. A native of Tropical Ncav Holland, also 

 the Fiji Islands. A medium sized tree with long glossy leaves. 

 Fruit the size of an apricot, covered with velvety down. In 

 Fiji it is planted near temples. The gum is used for poison- 

 ing arrows. 



i'he MiQberry Family. 



(MOKACE^.) 



Trees or shrubs, sometimes rooting and cHmbing like ivy, 

 often with thorns. Leaves alternate, rarely opposite, entire 

 or lobed, generally rough and furnished with deciduous 

 stipules. Flowers inconspicuous, monoecious or dioecious; 

 males in spikes ; females seated on or within a globose or 

 oblong fleshy receptacle, which becomes the fruit so called. 



Nearly 200 species are enumerated in this family, the 

 greatest number belonging to the genus Ficus, natives of the 

 tropics ; they are also represented in North America and 

 Australia, in some countries forming large trees. The 

 foJlowing account of one growing on a mountain in the 

 centre of Trinidad has lately been received. " We carved our 

 names on a gigantic ficus near the summit, with the date of 

 our visit. This tree is a noble specimen ; four of us standing 

 on its spurs 6 feet above the ground, could only just span it." 

 In general they abound in a milky juice which in many species 

 afford Caoutchouc. 



Fig {Ficus Carica). It is generally understood that the 



