168 



mental tree throughout India and the tropics. It is a tall tree,., 

 with straight trunk and smooth ashy bark. The flowers are droop- 

 ing, of a greenish-yellow colour, fragrant, and about three inches 

 in length. It belongs to the same family as the Sweet Sop, but 

 the fruit is not edible. It is the "Ilang-ilang" of European per- 

 fumers. An otto prepared from the flowers is worth from 18s. to- 

 22s. per ounce. Macassar Oil is said to be a solution of Hang in 

 Coco-nut Oil. 



A tree planted in Hope Gardens attained in 6 years a height of 

 46 feet, with a girth of 38 inches at 3 feet above the ground. (An- 

 onacece.) 



22. Carludoyica gracilis, Liebm. — The Ippi-appi or Thatch Palm is; 



used to make the Ippi-appi hats. It is a native of Jamaica. 



23. Caryocar nuciferum, Linn. — The Souari or Butter Nut is the product 



of a tree often attaining a height of 100 feet in the forests along 

 river banks in British Guiana. 



The timber is used for shipbuilding. The flowers are large, of a 

 deep, purplish-brown colour ; the fruit about the size of a child's 

 head, encloses 2 to 4 nuts, which have a reddish-brown hard shell, 

 enclosing a large white kernel of a very agreeable flavour, and 

 yielding an edible oil. (Ternstrcemiacece.) 



24. Caryota urens, Linn. — The Wine Palm or Kittul Palm attains 



a height of 50 or 60 feet, and is remarkable for the peculiar 

 form of the leaflets, which have been compared to those of our com- 

 mon Maiden Hair Fern. The leaves themselves are from 18 to 20 

 feet long. It is a native of Ceylon and India, growing in forests in 

 the hilly districts, where teak and the wild mango abound. 



The Kittul fibre of commerce is prepared from the sheathing 

 leaf-stalk ; it is used as a substitute for bristles for making brushes, 

 baskets, etc. The value is from 3Jd. to lOd. per lb. It is said that 

 in Ceylon ropes made from the fibre are used for tying elephants. 

 Roxburgh says it is highly valuable to the natives of the countries 

 where it grows. "It yields during the hot season an immense quan- 

 tity of toddy, or palm-wine. I have been informed that the best 

 trees will yield at the rate of one hundred pints in the 24 hours. 

 The pith, or farinaceous part of the trunk of old trees is said to be 

 equal to the best sago : the natives make it into bread, and boil it 

 into thick gruel ; these form a great part of the diet of the people, 

 and during a famine they suffered little while the trees lasted. I 

 have reason to believe this substance to be highly nutritious." 



The Wine Palm ends its existence by flowering. The first flow- 

 er stalk appears at the top of the tree ; as soon as that has done 

 flowering, another appears lower down, and so on, till the last one 

 blossoms at the foot of the trunk, proclaiming that the death of 

 the tree is near at hand. These flower-spikes hang down in large 

 bunches, producing quantities of round, reddish berries. The wood 

 iw strong and durable, used for agricultural purposes, water con-~ 

 duits and buckets. [Paimoe.) 



