346  The  Useful  American  Myrtles. 
'deleterious  in  their  raw  state.  Tlie  well  known  Brazil  nuts  or  Para 
nuts,  known  as  touka  in  Cayenne,  Sisjuvia  on  the  Orinoco,  and  as  cas- 
ianha  do  Para  in  Brazil,  are  the  seeds  of  Bertholletia  excelsa,  Kuntli. 
The  so-called  Sapucaya  nuts  are  produced  by  Lecythis  Zabucajo, 
Auhlet,  and  of  nearly  the  same  flavor  are  the  seeds  of  Lecythis  Ollaria 
Lin.  The  fruit  of  Couroupita  guianensis,  Auhlet,  is  globular,  attains  a 
diameter  of  six  or  eight  inches  and  is  known  as  canon  hall,  houlet  de 
canon  ;  it  contains  in  its  nearly  ripe  condition  a  sweet  acidulous  pulp, 
furnishing  a  refreshing  beverage,  useful  in  febrile  diseases.  These 
trees  are  indigenous  to  South  America. 
The  suborder  Ghamcelauciece  has,  like  the  following  suborders,  ever- 
green and  mostly  glandular-punctate  leaves.  The  plants  known  as 
fringe-myrtles  are  shrubby,  of  a  heath-like  aspect,  with  small  leaves, 
are  indigenous  to  Australia  and  are  not  used  medicinally 
The  suborder  Leptospermece  comprises,  with  very  few  exceptions, 
Australian  trees  and  shrubs,  with  opposite  or  alternate  leaves.  The 
volatile  oil  of  one  species,  Melaleuca  minor,  Smith,  is  the  well-known 
oil  of  cajuput.  The  volatile  oil  distilled  from  the  leaves  of  Mel. 
ericsefolia,  Sm.,  Mel.  linarisefolia,  Sm.,  Mel.  Leucadendron,  Lin.,  and 
perhaps  of  other  species,  are  very  similar.  The  last-named  species  is 
known  in  Australia  as  tea  tree,  because  the  leaves  are  employed  like 
tea ;  the  white  tea  tree  is  Mel.  genistsefolia,  Sm.  The  leaves  of  different 
species  of  Leptospermum,  like  L.  scoparium,  Sm.^  L.  Thea.,  Willde- 
now,  and  others  are  similarly  used. 
But  the  suborder  has  attracted  universal  attention  through  the 
Eucalyptus  globulus,  Lahillardiere,  which  through  its  rapid  growth, 
and  perha}3S  also  through  the  exhalation  of  its  volatile  oil,  has  been 
found  useful  in  subtropical  marshy  countries  for  destroying  malaria. 
The  leaves  of  all  species  of  this  genus  yield  volatile  oils,  which  some- 
times differ  widely  in  odor  and  composition.  Several  species  yield 
astringent  exudations,  drying  into  a  kino-like  substance ;  the  exudation 
of  others  contains  more  gummy  matter,  and  of  one  or  two  species  it  is 
-of  a  saccharine  nature  ;  the  bast  fibres  of  certain  species  have  been  found 
serviceable  in  the  manufacture  of  paper. 
Of  the  suborder  Myrteoe,  there  are  not  less  than  53  species  described 
by  Grisebach,  growing  in  the  British  West  Indian  islands,  all  of  w^hich 
are  more  or  less  aromatic.  The  number  growing  in  all  the  West  Indian 
islands  and  in  South  America  is  much  larger.  The  species  best  known 
throughout  the  civilized  world  is  doubtless  the  clove,  Caryophyllus 
