536 
CUPULIFER^E. 
There are several species of Chestnuts (Castanopsts) \n the 
Straits, but the fruit is inferior to that of the English Chestnuts. 
The most popular species is C. Walhchiana , which is very com- 
mon in the low country, a big tree with spiny fruit and narrow 
leaves. The chestnuts are small and have rather a hard rind/which 
makes them troublesome to open. They have quite the flavour of 
the English chestnut and are used by the Malays, boiled to orna- 
ment cakes. 
GNETACE.E. 
Gnetiim guemon, the Man in go, is a tree sometimes but* rarely 
planted, being introduced from Java by the. Javanese. It is a hand- 
some tiee and produces small oblong seeds which when peeled are 
eaten, they have a pleasant nutty taste. 
Orchide^e. 
The fruit of the wild vanilla, Vanilla Griffithii, a climber with 
beautiful white flowers, and clusters of soft fruits like small Bana- 
nas is juicy and sweet. It fruits in January, but is seldom to be 
found in fruit. It has not the faintest trace of vanillin. 
Amakyllide/E. 
1 he fruits of Curculigo l at if o ha } and other species are eatable 
though very small about half an inch long fusiform and hidden 
•away among the bracts of the flower head .at the base of the leaves. 
They have a taste of sweetened cucumbers, and are hardly worth 
mentioning except for a peculiar property they possess. Although 
they are by no means very sweet, and leave no distinct sweet taste 
in the mouth afterwards, yet for some considerable time any liquid 
that is drunk after eating one or two seems to possess a strong 
mawkish sweetness. The effect lasts for an hour or so. 
The plant is commonly known as Lumbah. 
HyltrocjiariOE/E. 
The fruit of the marine plant Setul {Enhalus acoroides), a com- 
mon herb with long grassy leaves growing in sandy spots in shallow' 
sea round our coasts is eaten by children. It is a curious looking 
hairy green fruit borne on long twisted peduncle. 
Aroide.e. 
Monstera deiiciosa . — A native of South America is an ornamen- 
tal aroid with large peculiarly perforated leaves w'hich is cultivated . 
in a few gardens and not rarely fruits. It bears a long cylindri- 
cal mass of small fruits, of a dejicious flavour, but difficult to eat on 
account of the abundant raphicfes in the remains of the flower. 
BrOM ELI ACE/E. 
The pine-apple Ananassa sativa , is well enough known. A full 
account of it and its cultivation will appear in a later number of 
the Bulletin. 
