FLOOR.] 
FIRST BOTANICAL ROOM. 
209 
stems. Among those calling for special mention are the Rice-paper 
plant, Tetrapanax papyrifera, of China, remarkable for its large, soft, 
solid pith, from which are dexterously cut the thin slices of the so-called 
rice-paper used by the Chinese for water-colour paintings; Lagelta 
lintearia, or Lace-bark of the West Indies, the inner bark of which can 
be, after maceration, split up into layers of beautifully interlaced fibres 
resembling lace ; the Cork-oak, Quercus suber, of Spain and North 
Africa, the outer layers of the bark, which increase annually, ultimately 
possess great thickness, forming cork ; a section of the stem of Urtica 
gigas, a gigantic species of nettle forming a large tree in Northern 
Australia. The large woody blunt prickles on the stem of a species 
of Xanthoxylum from the Cape (called " Hercules' Club "), and the 
internal structure of the stem of Clematis hexapetala, at the back of 
the Case, are also deserving of attention, as well as the singularly 
lobed and channelled trunk of the Paddle-wood of Guiana, Aspidosperma 
excelsa. 
In Case 23 are placed on the walls and shelves some fruits of the 
Gourd and Peafamilies(CWur6itac£« and Leguminosce), the forms of some 
of which are very singular. On the floor of the Case are sections of 
the stems of trees of the families Leguminosce and Myrtacece. Among 
these some of the gum trees (Eucalyptus) of Australia are noticeable 
for their inner bark, which splits up into papery layers. A section 
of a very large stem of the Tamarisk {Tamarix gallica) from Mentone, 
and of the Ivy (Hedera Helix) from Kent, are also exhibited. 
Case 24 is occupied by further specimens of Dicotyledonous woods 
and fruits. On the shelves are placed the fruits of various species 
of Lecythis from Brazil, called "monkey-pots," which contain the 
seeds known as " Sapucaia nuts of the closely allied Berthulletia 
excelsa, the seeds in which are the familiar " Brazil nuts ;" of Theo- 
broma Cacao, from the seeds of which are made cocoa and chocolate ; 
of the gigantic Baobabs (Adansonia digitata of Africa and A. Gregorii 
of Australia) and other plants. In bottles are specimens of cloves 
and nutmeg, the first the unopened flower-buds o/ Caryophyllus aro- 
maticus, the second the seed of Myristica moschata, the aril or inner 
covering of which forms " mace." On the floor are sections of the 
stems of various trees, including the Proteacece and Casuarina of 
Australia, and the Oreodaphne fattens of the Canary Islands, remark- 
able for the persistency of its very disagreeable odour, which is un- 
diminished after more than a century's preservation. 
The Wall Cases in the next room contain a selection from the 
extensive collection of Fossils bequeathed by Robert Brown, and other 
specimens since acquired. 
Case 25 contains specimens of fossil Ferns. On the upper 
shelves are numerous stems of different species of Psaronius, invested 
with thick coverings of aerial roots. They are from the Carboniferous 
and Permian strata of Saxony and Bohemia. Fronds of PalaO{ terit 
hibernica, from the Devonian rocks of the South of Ireland, the 
lower fruiting pinnules of which exhibit small bivalved capsules 
p 
