206 
EDIBLE PRODUCTS 
(Zingiber), Allium, Amomum, Archangelica, Carum, Cori- 
andrum, Crithmum, Cucumis, Cuminum, Illicium, Mentha, 
Monarda, Monodora, Myrrhis, Ocimum, Olea, Origa- 
num, Pimenta, Salvia, Satureia, Smyrnium, Tropaeolum, 
Thymus, &c. 
Many drinks are prepared from plants. Intoxicating 
liquors are in general prepared by fermentation of liquids 
containing sugar, i.e. the form in which the non-nitrogenous 
reserve materials are usually transferred from one part of the 
plant to another (p. 34). When such a plant as Agave, or 
one of the palms which only flowers once, is producing its 
inflorescence, there is a great rush of sugar upwards in the 
stem, and this may be tapped and fermented, e.g. in Agave, 
Borassus, Caryota, Cocos, &c. Other drinks are prepared 
by fermenting the sugar derived from the starch of seeds in 
germination, e.g. sprouting barley, &c., from reserves in the 
stems, as in the case of rum from sugar-cane, or from the 
sugar in fruits, as with wines prepared from grapes (Vitis), 
&c. Infusion drinks are prepared from the seeds of coffee 
(Coffea), cacao or cocoa (Theobroma), kola (Cola), & c., and 
from the leaves of tea (Thea), mate (Ilex), Catha, Priva, 
Stachytarpheta, &c., and from the root of chicory (Cicho- 
rium). The milk of young nuts of Cocos is a useful beverage 
in the tropics. A milk (latex) is also obtained from Brosi- 
mum, &c. 
Stimulants and narcotics (see also under drugs) are 
obtained from Areca, hemp (Cannabis), coca (Erythroxylon), 
kola (Cola), opium (Papaver), tobacco (Nicotiana), &c. 
Under this heading may also be mentioned the food 
plants upon which silkworms are reared, especially the mul- 
berry (Morus); others are Ailanthus, Lactuca, Maclura, &c. 
Many plants, especially those belonging to the flower 
classes, H, B' and B, and with tubes of about 6 mm. long 
(i.e. corresponding to the length of a hive-bee’s tongue), are 
useful for providing honey and pollen to bees, e.g., Acer, 
Borago, Brassica, Calluna, Echium, Erica, Eucalyptus, Fago- 
pyrum, Gossypium, Helianthus, Lupinus, Medicago, Meli- 
lotus, Mentha, Nepeta, Onobrychis, Origanum, Prunus, 
Pyrus, Reseda, Ribes, Rosa, Rubus, Salix, Salvia, Thymus, 
Tilia, Trifolium, Vaccinium, Vicia, Viola, &c. Care has to 
