for the belief that the husks mentioned in the parable of
the prodigal son were these pods. The seeds were at one time used
by singers, who imagined that they softened and cleared the voice.

103. CERBERA THEVETIA.--The name is intended to imply that the plant is
as dangerous as Cerberus. The plant has a milky, poisonous juice.
The bark is purgative; the unripe fruit is used by the natives of
Travancore to destroy dogs, as its action causes their teeth to
loosen and fall out.

104. CEREUS GIGANTEA.--The suwarrow of the Mexicans, a native of the
hot, arid, and almost desert regions of New Mexico, found growing
in rocky places, in valleys, and on mountain sides, often
springing out of mere crevices in hard rocks, and imparting a
singular aspect to the scenery of the country, its tall stems
often reaching 40 feet in height, with upright branches looking
like telegraph posts for signaling from point to point of the
rocky mountains. The fruits are about 2 or 3 inches long, of a
green color and oval form; when ripe they burst into three or four
pieces, which curve back so as to resemble a flower. Inside they
contain numerous little black seeds, imbedded in a crimson-colored
pulp, which the Indians make into a preserve. They also eat the
ripe fruit as an article of food.

105. CEREUS MACDONALDIAE.--A night-blooming cereus, and one of the most
beautiful. The flowers when fully expanded are over a foot in
diameter, having numerous radiating red and bright orange sepals
and delicately white petals. It is a native of the Honduras.

106. CEROXYLON ANDICOLA.--The wax palm of New Grenada, first described
by Humboldt and Bonpland, who found it on elevated mountains,
extending as high as the lower limit of perpetual snow. Its tall
trunk is covered with a thin coating of a whitish waxy substance,
giving it a marbled appearance. The waxy substance forms an
article of commerce, and is obtained by scraping the trunk. It
consists of two parts of resin and one wax, and, when mixed with
one third of tallow, it makes very good candles. The stem is used
for building purposes, and the leaves for thatching roofs.

107. CHAMAEDOREA ELEGANS.--This belongs to a genus of palms native of
South America. The plant is of tall, slender growth; the stems are
used