The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-03-04
tH-itteR for the PulatEa Ners.l
FLORIDA PLANTS.
BY DR.. 4. scnArraAsEk pALArxA. IA.
XXII.
AuRANTIAcEE-cITRrs EAxI


Spring with all the freshness
of its beauty is yet with us, ev-
erywhere the woods are white
with the blossomed plum and dog wood
and the trees are attired in the gayest
green The morning breeze comes to us
laden with the mingled perfume OF my
riad oran ge buds expanding into flower
TO greet
A morn. the loveiiest which the year has seen
Now Of the spring. yet fresh with all its green,
For warm eve and gentle dew AT night,
Have left sparkling welcome for the light.
The most important plants of the nat
ural order ADVANTAGES are those Of the
genus citrus: which have been cultivated
for more than seventeen hundred years
in the Southern part of Europe and since
North America, as well as in ali the
warm countries of the globe. The genus
citrus contains great number of vari-
cites, the most of them have been inn
ported from their native places, from
Asia. Northern India and Japan, while
others have been propagated by indus
trious nurserymen and fruit growers.
Noissette one of the celebrated French
botanists describes already in 1925 one
hundred and sixty varieties. In regard
to medicine the humber of varieties is
very limited. the following sorts are al
ways more preferable for medicinal pur-
poses, than others namely:
l. CITRUS AURANTIuM RIsso.-The
common sweet orange a native OF the
forests of the Himalayas and
China with ovate, oblong leaves which
sometimes appear acute, serrulate. pet
iole more or less winged; flowers white;
fruit roundish, occasionally oblong.
mammose with the cortical vesicles con-
vex. The pulp of the fruit is sweet.
refrigerant; rind contains aromatio and
tonic principles, while the leaves show
bitter and aromatic properties.
2. CITRUS BIGARADIA RIsso.-The Sc
vile orange cultivated mostly in the
South of Europe and to be found in diff
ferent nurseries of Southern California
and Florida, spiny, leaves elliptical acute
petiaisz winged: FLOWERS snow white;
fruf adle-sixed, roundish, smooth or
wrinkled, deep yellow, with concave
oil cysts; the pulp of the fruit is acid and
bitter and the rind contains very bittsr,
aromatic and tonic virtues The flowers
yield that costly oil called oil of Neroli.
while the crushed fruit boiled in sugar
forms marmalade. The essential oil is
recommended as very good antispas-
modic and stimuiant remedy, from this
orange flower water is chiefly obtained
8. CITRUS BERGAMIA RIsso. The Ber-
gamot orange, Mellarcsa chiefly cllti-
waited in Southern Europe. rare in this
country, has brittle branches, leaves OBJ
long, with winged petiole, dark green
above, pale beneath, flowers small,
white, fruit py1iform smooth, pale yell
low with green subacid firm fragrant
pulp; the rind is extremely fragrant. the
essential oil, oil of Bergamot obtained
from the flowers and fruits is largely em-
ployed by perfumers.
4. CITRUS LMoNUM RIsso. The COM
mon lemon, a native of the forests of In
dia, has ovate or oblong, usually serru-
late, pale green leaves, with winged
petioIe; flowers middle-sized, red out
side; fruit oblong. wrinkled or furrowed;
pale yellow, with the oil cysts concave,
rind thin, pulp very acid. The rind con-
tains, besides peculiar fragrance, bitter
aromatic and stomachic properties,
while Juice tastes agreeable, acid,
and is commended as a refrigerant,
antiscorbutic remedy, used in febrile
complaints, while the preparation C ef
fervescing draughts, lemona<a <rves,
against scurvy.
5. CITRUS LUNA RIssO.-The swtot
lemon, of the same quality and uses 40
the foregoing variety, of 'wIach, how
ever. its juice wants the peculiar sharp
ness. The sweet lemon is mostly culti-
waited in the Southern part of Europe
has ovate oblong, serrulate pale green
leaves, with winged petiole, flowers
middle-sized, red outside, fruit obIoug,
wrinkled or furrowed, pale yellow, with
the oil cysts concave, it resembles there
fore very much the common lemon, but
differs only in the pulp, which is sweet
instead of aeId.
6. CITRUS AcIDA RoxBURGH.-TD
lime is native of Northern India aud
China, also cultivated in all sub-tropjcaI
countries of the globe; form, spiny
tree; sometimes more or less Of q