THE SILK COTTON FAMILY. 



489 



tree with heart-shaped, lobed leaves, and is remarkable for 

 the stamens being red, and so united and turned to one side 

 of the flower, that they bear some resemblance to an infant's 

 hand. 



Silk Cotton. This is the produce of several species of 

 Bomhax^ which are large trees in tropical America. The 

 fruit is a valvular capsule compactly filled with a beautiful 

 silky fibre, which is very elastic, expanding greatly on the 

 opening of the pod, but, as it cannot be woven, is only used 

 for stuffing cushions. 



Ceiba {Bomhax Ceiha). Another silk cotton tree, native of 

 the West Indies, attaining a great height. Its stem is 

 covered with rough tuberculated prickles, and is remarkable 

 for having thick projecting buttresses of such size that in 

 Jamaica horses have been stalled between them. 



Bomhax Malaharicum. A tree similar to the preceding ; 

 the silk cotton tree of India. 



Cork Wood of Jamaica {0 chroma Lagopus). A tree 40 

 feet high, common on the sea shores of the West Indies and 

 Central America. The wood is soft, easily compressed and 

 used in Jamaica as a substitute for cork. 



Durian (Durio Zihethinus). A large tree, with simple 

 oblong leaves, native of the Malayan Archipelago. It bears 

 a large capsular fruit 8 to 10 inches in length, covered with 

 hard prickles, containing seed enveloped in a luscious pulp, 

 delicious to eat, but of a very foetid odour, repugnant to 

 Europeans. It is nevertheless considered one of the finest 

 tropical fruits. 



Cola (StercuUa) acuminata. A tree, native of Western 

 tropical Africa. It attains the height of 30 or 40 feet, having 

 smooth, entire, oblong elliptical leaves 6 to 8 inches in length. 

 The fruit is a follicle containing several nut-like seeds, which 

 are called Cola or goora-nuts. They form a considerable 

 article of trade amongst the negroes, by whom they are held 

 in high estimation. The tree is also common in the West 

 Indies and Brazil, having originally been introduced by the 

 slaves from Africa. 



