185 



aul each one has his own tube, or "bombilla," which is inserted 

 into the mate to suck up the refreshing beverage. A small wire 

 cage at the end of the bombilla prevents the dust from enteiing 

 the tube. (Ilicinece.) 



66. Lagerstrcemia Flosh regixae, Retz. — (Queen's Flower), when in 



blossom, is one of the most showy trees of the Indian forests. A 

 moist, damp climate is most suitable for its growth and for the 

 full development of its rose-coloured blossoms. It reaches a height 

 of 50 feet. The timber is blood-red, and as it lasts well in water, 

 it is used for boat-builcling. In Burmah, it is employed more than 

 any other timber except teak, for a variety of purposes, but it soon 

 decays under ground. The astringent roots have been used as a 

 remedy for thrush ; the bark and leaves are purgative. (Lythra- 

 riece.J 



67. Lecythis Zabucajo, Aubl. — Sapucaia nuts, the seeds of this tree are 



nearly allied to the common Brazil nuts, but they have a better 

 flavour. They have a corky shell, and are enclosed in a large urn- 

 shaped seed-vessel about 6 inches across with a lid at the top. 

 TThen the seeds are ripe the lid falls away, and the seeds are scat- 

 tered ; whereas, the seed-vessel of the Brazil nuts {Bertholletia) 

 has no lid, and must be broken open with an axe to get at 

 the nuts. The trees grow to a height of 80 feet in their native 

 forests in Brazil. (Jlyrtacece.) 



68. Lie ual a peltata, Roxb. — The " Chattah-pat" palm of the people of 



Assam has large round leaves which are used by the natives to 

 make their " chattah" or umbrella hat. (Palmce.) 



69. Livistoxa australis, Mart. — This is one of the few palms indi- 



genous to Australia, where it attains a height of 80 or 100 feet. 

 It has large fan-shaped leaves, which in the unexpanded condition 

 are made into hats after preparation by scalding and then drying 

 in the shade. The " cabbage" is used as food in the same way as 

 that of the Cabbage Palm in the "West Indies. 



The history of the introduction of this Palm from Australia is 

 interesting, as related by Seemann. The number of Palms grown 

 in gardens was at one time very limited, chiefly owing to the 

 great difficulty experienced in transmitting the seed to Europe 

 without its losing the germinating power. This difficulty was 

 however, at last overcome. When Allan Cunningham, the botan- 

 ist, was in Australia, he sent a case with living plants to the Royal 

 Gardens at Kew, which on being disturbed was found to have, in- 

 stead of the crocks usually placed at the bottom of such cases for 

 drainage, seeds of a Palm, nearly all in process of germination. 

 Cunningham's attendants too indolent to look for the crocks, had 

 substituted the seeds of the Livistonia australis, which happened 

 to be more handy. These young plants were carefully nursed, and 

 one of them became one of the gems of the collection of Palms at 

 Kew. It at last reached the roof of the Palm House, and had to 

 be removed. The discovery that the seeds of Palms could be in- 

 troduced most effectually by being in their native country at once 



