126 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

 

fruit during most of the year, and is said to be a
native of the South Sea Islands, though it is now
quite common in the Friendly and Society groups,
and in many of. the neighboring islands.

Sago is a starchy substance, obtained from the
pith of several species of palm trees, which grow
in the Moluccas. A single tree is said to yield
from 600 to 800 pounds of sago.

Yams are the large tubers of a number of
plants, resembling potatoes. They are cultivated
in Africa, in South America, and in Cuba.

338. Sugar-Cane is probably

a native of India, but is now
extensively cultivated through-
out the tropical and warm tem-
perate zones of both hemispheres,
in the West Indies and South-
ern United States, Guinea and
Brazil, Mauritius and Bourbon,
Bengal, Siam, China, Java, and
the neighboring islands.
_ 334, Fruits of the Tropical
and Warm Temperate Zones.—
Besides those already enumer-
ated, we find the following:
oranges, lemons, limes, citrons,
gy Lu pine-apples,
SOV ny mangoes, figs;
and in the
cooler por-
tions cherries,
peaches, apri-
cots, and pome-
granates.

335. Distri-

 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   

Plants yield-
ing Bever-
ages.—The
principal plants yielding beverages by infusion
are tea, coffee, and cocoa.

Tea consists of the dried leaves of a number
of evergreen shrubs, natives of China or there-
abouts. Tea is cultivated in China and India,
from the equator as far north as lat. 45°. It ap-
pears to thrive best between 25° and 33° N. lat.
It is extensively cultivated in Malacca, Java, and
in various portions of the English possessions in
India. Tea was introduced into Europe by the
Dutch, in 1610.

Coffee is the berry of a tree found native in
Abyssinia. The tree attains a height of from

Fig. 112, Sugar-Cane,

 

15 to 20 feet, but when cultivated, it is generally
kept lower by cutting. The tree has shining

 

Fig, 113, Tea-Plant.

green leaves, and bears beautiful white flowers,
which are followed by reddish-brown berries, each

‘of which contains two grains of. coffee. The

coffee-tree is cultivated extensively in Arabia,
Java, the Philippines, Ceylon, Brazil, and in the
West Indies.

 

Fig. 114. Coffee.

Cocoa.—The cocoa-tree is cultivated in Central
America, Guiana, Chili, India, Japan, and in
several islands in the Indian Ocean. The tree
attains a height of about 20 feet. Chocolate is
prepared from the seed of the cocoa-tree.

336. Spices, such as pepper, cloves, nutmegs, and
cinnamon, are cultivated mainly within the trop-
ics. Vanilla, used in flavoring, is also limited to
this region.

Pepper.— The black pepper of commerce is ob-
tained from the dried seed of a climbing shrub,
which grows wild on the western coasts of Hin-