50 GARFIELD PARK CONSERVATORY 
trees, lime trees, grapefruit trees, kumquat trees, and the trees that 
yield the sour oranges, mandarin oranges, and satsuma oranges of com- 
merce. These trees bloom well in the Conservatory, and sometimes 
set as many as 300 to 400 fruits; but the fruits rarely mature because 
visitors pull them off as curiosities. 
Clerodendron. The collection includes two species of this beautiful 
vine, a tropical member of the Verbenaceae, the family to which the 
vervain of our fields and the verbena of our gardens belong. 
Clusia sp., or BALSAM TREE, belongs to the Guttiferae, a family with 
no local representatives. The specimen in this collection was grown 
from a sprig found in a collection of orchids. The resin of the tree is 
burned as incense in Roman Catholic churches in Spanish American 
countries. 
Coccoloba floridana (C. laurifolia), or PIGEON PLuM, is a native of tropi- 
cal America that belongs to the Polygonaceae, the family to which 
buckwheat belongs. The pigeon plum produces edible fruit. 
Coccoloba uvifera, or SEASIDE GRAPE, is a related species from the same 
region. The tree is grown for its beautiful foliage, as well as for its 
edible fruit, its bark, and its wood. The bark is used in tanning 
leather. The wood is used as a cabinet wood and a dyewood. 
Cocculus laurifolius, or Fish BERRY TREE, iS an evergreen shrub from 
the Himalayas that belongs to the Menispermaceae, the family to 
which our moonseed vine belongs. The shrub is grown for its decora- 
tive foliage and for its poisonous fruits, which are used by the natives 
of India in fishing. They drop the berries into the water. The fish 
eating the berries become stupefied and are easily caught by hand. 
The “cocculus indicus’ of commerce is from a related species. 
Cocos nucifera, or Coconut Pam, is one of the most useful of all 
palms. Its nativity is in dispute. It is found growing along the 
sea coasts of all tropical lands, and is one of the first trees to appear 
on coral islands. It is claimed that the heavy covering of the nut 
protects it against the action of salt water, and so makes it possible 
for the nuts to germinate and grow after they have been carried long 
distances by ocean currents and ocean storms. Darwin and other 
scientists dispute this claim, and maintain the nuts are soon injured 
by salt water, and that germination rarely occurs unless the nuts are 
planted. 
Virtually all parts of the tree are used in some way. It is said 
70 trees will support a family. The hard, close-grained wood, known 
as porcupine-wood, takes a high polish, and is used for many purposes. 
The leaves are used for thatch, mats, screens, baskets, etc. The mid- 
ribs of the dried leaves are used for forks, knitting needles, tooth- 
picks, ete. The pith of the young palm is eaten as a vegetable, as is 
also the terminal bud, or cabbage. The root possesses narcotic prop- 
erties, and pieces of it are chewed instead of betel nut when the latter 
cannot be secured. The hard shell of the nut is made into cups and 
all sorts of household utensils, and is also used as fuel. The husk of 
the fruit, known as coir, is made into yarn, ropes, brushes, brooms, 
