ALEURITES (Gr. a))evpirlr, pertaining to iiXevpov, ground

See also:

• MEAL

meal, from aXeiv, to grind)  , a genus of trees belonging to the natural order Euphorbiaceae . Aleurites moluccana, or triloba, is widely cultivated throughout the tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world for its fruit, which is about the size of a walnut, and contains several seeds which are rich in oil . The oil is extracted and used for food and light; it is known in India as kekuna, and the tree as the " candle=nut." In the Sandwich Islands the nuts are strung upon strips of wood and used as torches . The oil is exported to Europe for candle-making . A. cordata flourishes in China, where it is known as the varnish-tree, on account of the lac contained in its seeds .