KEW GARDENS. 



15 



what might be called vegetable malformation, ^yhich yet works 

 well in the long run, is the Xylo'phylla falcata^ i. e., the scythe- 

 shaped wooden-leaf, from the Bahamas. It nas phylloid branches, 

 or green branches flattened and resembhng leaves, even more de- 

 ceptive than those of the New Holland Acacias, being inserted 

 horizontally, in the usual position of leaves on the stem, instead 

 of vertically. The flowers, and occasionally, though rarely, true 

 leaves, appear in what would be the serratures in a true leaf, but 

 what in the metamorphosed branch must be considered as axilloe. 

 A vegetable of some notoriety is the Cihotium Barometz^ or Scy- 

 thian lamb — the vegetable lamb of Tartary, which — according to 

 the writei's of olden time — ate up all the herbage within its reach, 

 but, being itself rooted to the ground, eventualFy perished of hun- 

 ger. The proof of the story was the presence of this lamb in the 

 cabinets of the curious. Seeing, it was thought, must be believ- 

 ing. Our plant reveals the mystery. The woolly rhizoma (of 

 which the hare's-foot fern is an analogous example) is of consider- 

 able substance, and grows into curious contortions and nodosities. 

 Four shortened frond-stalks, left for the dried specimen to stand 

 on when turned upside down, completed the verity of a vegeta- 

 ble lamb. There grow here, however, things useful as well as 

 things passing strange. Observe the chocolate-nut tree, Theohro- 

 ma cacao^ ' food for the gods,' putting forth flowers from the thick- 

 est part of its woody trunk, to be succeeded by nuts in the same 

 situation, instead of on the twiggy branches. Here is the mango 

 tree, Mangifera Indica^ with its fruit pendulous at the end of a 

 long stalk, playing the most tempting bob-cherry ; for though bad 

 varieties are no better than tow and turpentine, tirst-rate numbers 

 leave a delicious taste in the mouth, which is remembered for 

 years and years, like the cream-tarts by Avhich the widow of Nou- 

 reddin Ali recognized the neighbourhood of her cruelly mystified 

 Bedreddin. Each fruit here is secured in a large bag-net, to pre- 

 vent accidents, and to make hereafter a dainty dish to set before a 

 Queen. 



From pleasant fruits and ^ Herbes of Vertue,' turn we now to 

 the ' banes and poysons of pernitious and mahgnant temperature.' 

 The Caladium seguinum^ or dumb-cane, had better not be bitten, 

 or it will bite in return, depriving lips and tongue of all power of 

 speech. Instances of its virulence have occurred here. The gard- 

 eners are now, however, pretty well aware where such mischievous 



