CASHEW FAMILY. 



77 



its cultivation as a shade tree. It has in its favor a graceful habit, ia 

 cleauly and quite free from insects, gives a tolerable shade and is perfectly 

 hardy, gi'owing where almost any other would not survive. The objec- 

 tions to it are, the disagreeable odor it emits when in flower, and the 

 readiness with which it multiplies itself by suckers and by seeds. The 

 odor, which is really offensive in sultry weather, is emitted by the stami- 

 nate flowers, but as the tree is not perfectly dioecious, the pistillate ones 

 producing more or less staminate flowers, the difiiculty could not be 

 obviated by cutting down the sterile trees, there being no means of dis- 

 tinguishing them while young. In streets the rapid multiplication is 

 not so much of an objection as where the tree is cultivated in open 

 gi'ounds, though even here the seed will germinate wherever it can come 

 in contact wilh the earth. The young plants spring up between bricks 

 and flag-stones, in areas and small grass plots, and even on window-caps 

 and in crevices in the walls of buildings ; and in parks the multitude of 

 seedlings becomes an absolute nuisance. Still, notwithstanding all these 

 disadvantages, there is no tree so generally employed in the city of New 

 York as a shade tree, where it attracts the eye of the stranger by the 

 tropical aspect of its foliage and the large massy bunches of ripening 

 fruit, which are variously tinged with red or brownish. The tree has 

 been recommended for cultivation on prairie lands and others where 

 there is a scarcity of timber for fencing material. As far as rapidity of 

 growth is concerned, it is certainly admirably adapted to this use, but 

 it is not known whether the timber would be sufficiently durable. The 

 wood, though brittle, is very hard and takes a good polish. * 



Order XVIIL ANACARDIA'CEJG. (Cashew Family.) 



Trees or shrubs, with a resinous or milky, often acrid juice, which turns black in drying, 

 alternate dotless leaves without stipules and small, often polygamous, regular pentandrous 

 flou-ers. Petals imbricated in the bud. Ovary l-celled (by' abortion), but with 3 styles or 

 Btigmas, and a single ovule. Fruit indchiscent, usually drupaceous. Seed without albu- 

 men ; embryo curved. 



In the tropical regions, this Family presents plants of much interest : such as that 

 which yields the celebrated Mango fruit (Mangifera Indica,L.) — the Casnew nut (Anacar- 

 dium occidentale, L.) and the I'istacia nut (Fistacia vera L.) ; with others which afford 

 various kinds of Lacquer and Varnish. A species of Rhus (R. Cotinus, L.) affords the 

 " young Fustic," of commerce — the " old Fustic," being the wood of Morus tinctoria, L. 

 The Chian or Cyprus Turpentine is obtained from the Pistacia Terebinthus, L. 



1. EHUS', L. Sumach. 



[Greek, Rlwus,—ov Celtic Ehudd^—veA ; the prevailing color of the fruit.] 



Sepals 5, connected at base, persistent. Petals 5, ovate, spreading, and 

 with the stamens inserted under the margin of an orbicular disk. Drupe 

 small, nearly or quite dry; nut bony, l-celled. Polygamo-dioecioug 

 shrubs or small trees. Leaves sometimes simple, mostly compound (odd« 

 pinnate or trifoliolate) ; common petiole enlarged at the base and cover 

 ing the buds of the ensuing year.- 



* Leaves odd-pinnate. 

 f Young branches densely hairy. 



