THE AMERICAN BOTANIST, 



11 



cacli pod, which is of a chocolate-brown colour, and stud- 

 ded with stiff woodj^ spines. The seeds are about the size 

 of a large Barcelona nut, irregularly globular, ver^^ hard, 

 ^^nth a shiny surface, mostly of a greyish-slate colour, but 

 sometimes yellow, orange nearly black, or even w^hite. 

 They are commonly used by the natives for making neck- 

 laces, bracelets, and rosaries. In India, where the plant is 

 common, the kernel of the seeds is said to possess medicin- 

 al properties. The smaller seeds of the nicker, properly 

 mounted and provided with a shank, might well l)e made 

 into waistcoat buttons or ornamental buttons for ladies' 

 dresses, as was at one time done in England with the 

 soap berry seed. These are the produce of Sapindirs sapo- 

 naria^ a small tree, the fruits of w^hich are fleshy and 

 about the size of a cherrv, containing one hard, intensely 

 black seed» The pulpj portion of the fruit shrivels in dry- 

 ing and becomes horny ; it contains a larg'C proportion of 

 saponin, which is readih' extracted b\^ soaking in water, 

 ,and is thus much used hy the people for washing fabrics, 

 -as a lather is very cjuickly produced. The hard, round 

 seeds are used for making neck laces, bracelets, buttons, 

 and rosaries, and it is said that many^ years ago buttons 

 w^ere made of them, and used in England, chiefl^^ for waist- 

 coats. The absence of any figure or colour in the seeds, 

 being a dull uniform black, does not recommend them for 

 general purposes, but w4th silver mounts thev would be 

 particularh^ suited for mourning use.. 



The intensely hard seeds of the Gru Gru palms, for the 

 name is applied to at least tw^o distinct West Indian 

 palms, namely A^rocomia sclcrocarpa and Astrojaiyiim 

 vulgare are like the soap berries, black. They grow, how- 

 ever, to the size of a walnut, and the centre being occupied 

 with soft oih^ seeds, they can readily be hollowed in the 

 form of boxes, or cut into buttons of different shapes and 

 sizes, and as they take a fine polish should find some 

 general application. 



Amongst the brighter coloured seeds which should 

 find a use amongst jewellers may be mentioned crabs eyes, 



