242 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



rooted species of the genus is used as a substitute for rhubarb, 

 but they are of a drastic nature. 



Common Sorrel {fiumex acetosa). A native of this coun- 

 try. French sorrel [R. scutatus), a native of Switzerland. 

 Perennial plants, cultivated in gardens for their leaves, which 

 are acid and are used as culinary herbs. 



The genus Coccoloha and Triplaris are slender almost un- 

 branched trees, or large shrubs, some being twining ampelids. 

 Coccoloha pubescens, " Leather Leaf, " C. macrophylla^ and 

 C. rlicefolia have large rigid rhubarb-like leaves ; they are 

 natives chiefly of the West Indies and tropical America. C. 

 uvifera is a small tree or straggling shrub. The flowers are 

 in spikes, and the calyx, when ripe, becoming fleshy, has the 

 appearance of grape berries, and has been called the ''sea- 

 side grape;" the bark is astringent and has been used for 

 tanning leather. 



THE LAUEEL, PEOTEA, AND DAPHNE ALLIANCE. 

 The Oleaster Family. 



(El^agnace^.) 



Small trees or shrubs, with opposite or alternate leaves, 

 generally covered with scurf scales, of silvery white or brown 

 colour. Flowers small, unisexual or bisexual, axillary, the 

 males in catkin-like spikes. Fruit enclosed within the calyx, 

 becoming a pulpy crustaceous 1 -seeded berry. 



This small family consists of about 30 species, all widely 

 dispersed over the northern hemisphere, species of Shepherdia 

 being natives of North America, and Elceagnus of the tem- 

 perate parts of India, China, and Japan ; while HippophcB 

 rhamnoides is widely distributed over Europe and Asia ; it 

 is a] so found on the sea shores of this country, and is called 

 " sea buckthorn f a fish-sauce is made from the berries, 

 and in Eussia they are much esteemed and preserved through- 

 out the winter. They are, however, found to contain a 

 narcotic poisonous principle. 



