Exc[oe]caria Sebifera
This Euphorbiaceous plant is the tallow
tree of China. The fruits, are about half an inch in diameter, and
each contains three seeds, thickly coated with a fatty substance
which yields the tallow. This is obtained by first steaming the
seeds, then bruising them
to loosen the fat without breaking the
seeds, which are removed by sifting. The fat is then made into
flat circular cakes and pressed, when the pure tallow exudes in a
liquid state and soon hardens into a white, brittle mass. Candles
made from this get soft in hot weather, which is prevented by
coating them with insect wax. A liquid oil is obtained from the
seeds by pressing. The tree yields a hard wood, used by the
Chinese for printing blocks, and its leaves are used in dyeing
black.
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Next: Exogonium Purga
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