292 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



box-like leaves and small sweet-scented white flowers. It is 

 a native of South Africa, and produces an oblong drupe-liko 

 fruit, of which there is a large variety. A. grandiflora is 

 called Natal Plum. They make excellent preserves. 



Alstonia scholaris. A large tree, native of Ceylon, India, 

 and Burmah. The leaves groAV in whorls round the 

 branches. It yields a milky juice, Avhich is used as gutta- 

 percha. The wood is light and white, and is used for 

 domestic purposes. 



The family is represented in the open air in this country 

 by four species of Apoci/num^ three being natives of North 

 America. They are perennial plants, extending to a great 

 distance by their rimning roots, and have small pink flowers. 

 They have tough fibre, that of A. cannahinum and A. hyjperi- 

 cifolium is made by the Indians into fishing nets, lines, &c. ; 

 and is known by the name of Indian Hemj). A considerable 

 number are cultivated in hot-houses as highly ornamental 

 plants — such as Allamanda, Echites^ Dipladenia^ and Plu- 

 mieria. P. rubra, in the West Indies being called Eed 

 Jasmine, as also "Frangipane" — a name also given to the 

 sweet-smelling flowers of P. acuminata. 



TaheriKEmontana coronaria. -A native of India, the variety 

 with double flowers forms a good substitute for the Cape 

 Jasmine. As a curiosity, it may be mentioned that the 

 Cingalese have a tradition that the Garden of Eden was situ- 

 ated in Ceylon, and that a species of this genus was the 

 " tree of knowledge of good and evil." 



The SwaUow-Wort Family. 



( ASCLEPIADACE^. ) 



Gemmsecorm herbs, or erect, or generally twining or 

 climbing epiphytal fruticuls, or with fleshy (sarcocauls) or 

 tubercorm stems, the Avhole containing milky or watery juice. 

 Leaves entire, opposite, whorled or alternate, often with a 

 ringed footstalk. FloAvers solitary or few together, or in 

 umbels or racemes. Calyx persistent. Corolla 5-lobed, with 



