Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1891-09-19
PECULIAR PLANTS.
VERY CURIOUS AND INTEREST.
ING FORMS OF VEGETATION
4 Bark Prom Which Lace is Made
The Trumpet Tree-A Plant
Which MoveS-The Tooth
Brush Tree, Etc

The Department Of Agriculture has
Just issued vew curious and interesting
list of plants useful 10 man which are
contained in its collection.
Among the most remarkable of these is
the lacebark tree of Jamaica, the inner
bark of whieh is composed If many lay
ers OF tbres that interlacc IN ali direc-
tlons. Caps, rltiieS and even complete
suits of lace are made from H. 1t bears
| washing with common soap. and when
t bleached in the sun acquires a degree Of
whiteness equal 10 the best articiaI lace,
with which this surprising natural pro
duct compares quite favorablyd as 10
beauty. Another curiosity is known IN
the tropics as the sand bark tree and also
as the monkeys dinner bell 1t has a
round, hard Shelled fruit about the size
| of an orange. which. when ripe aud drs,
! bursts open with sharp noise lkr the
report OF pistol. Its Juice is poisonous.
!, The South American trumuet tree might
| furnish a band with musical Instruments,
lnasmuch as its hollow erancheS are
utilized for horns and also for drums
From Travantore cone a quaint plant
called the "cerberus,' which has 4
milky, poisonous Juice. The unripc
fruit Is used by the natives TO destroy
dogs, as IFS action causes their teeth 10
loosen and fall out Tie leaves OF rte
so-caleu American aloe are made INTO
cleaning and securing pewter. Qnitc i
wonderful tree is the ealabash Of the
| West Indies, which bears enormous
fruits that resemble pumpkins and grow
to be nearly two feet in diameter With
the pulp removed they serve various
domestic purposes-for carrying water
and even as kettles for cooking
the great advantages Of strength and
lightness
Another queer plant in the collection
belongs TO the pea family and is called
the 'moving plant, on account of the
manner in which It's leaves turn around
of their own accord or go by jerks, with
out being touched or in any way dis
turbed Sometimes only one or two
leaves on a plant will be affected, at
other times they vii. all perform jumps
and gyrations simultaneously. 1t is oh
served that the movements are most en-
ergetic when the thermometer marks
about eighty degrees The ''dumb
cane is So called fecause its teshy,
cane-hke stems render speechlcss any one
who may happen to bite them. In the
West Indies grows the silk cotton or
God tree, the fruit Of which is a very
beautiful silky fiber, highly elastic and
used for stuftius cushions An inter
csting specimen IS the pippul tree OF the
Hndoos, which is held in such vcnera
ton that ii is considered crime to cut
off one of the branches There is also
tooth brush tree from Jamaica. Tooth
brushes are made from il by cutting
and fraying out the ends. Il also sup
plies conveniently eaougL, an excellent
toothpowder, which IS prepared hy pul
verizine the dried stems.
This wonderful vegetable as,embiage
includes the celebrated henna plant Of
the east, the powdered leaves Of which
are commonly utilized as cosmetic in
Asia and northern Africa. The practice
has descended from very remote ages, as
is proved by the Egyptian mnmmie-, the
parts dyed being usually the finger an(
7 toe nails, the tips Of the finsSrs, tn
palms OF the hands aud the soles OF tnt
feet. The reddish tin, produced i con
, sidered highly ornamental by Orlental
bellies III Brazil there gro.s tree
which la, hard urn -shapri iruits
! known a. lnotkry cups. Inry coutaa
edible nuts. aud the husks ar very p
culiar. being SIX inches in diameter an.
!. having regular lids which 1t then
close ~ and sepsrate when tlle seeds II
;. mature Native. employ for cigar wrap
i pers the i,aga, which is compose Of