102 The Natural Hiffory of Jamaica. 
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which come the Twigs, which are befet with Pzsve, much narrower thats 
any of this Kind, fo that there is a very large defe&t or empty {pace between 
them, by whichthey may be eafily known from any other of this Kind. 
This grew in the inland parts of this Ifland in the Savannas. 
CI. Filix femina feu ramofa major, dichotoma pinnulis lonchitidis, {cil. lone 
gis, anguflis, non dentatis. Cat. p.r4. Flix Famaicenfts dichotomos few ramis bi- 
fidis, femine noftratis pinnulis ramofiffima. Plukenet. Alm. p. 156. 
This Fern rofe to about feven or eight Foot high, having Stalks as big as 
ones Finger, being fmooth, fhining, roundifh, of a reddifh green colour, al- 
ways divided into two Branches, ftanding oppofite to one another, and 
they into two Twigs ftanding in the fame manner, which are for the moft 
part about three Inches long, and made up of many Inch-long Pinna, joind 
at their bottoms to one another by a narrow membrane running along the 
Twig or middie Rib, and thence growing very narrow, they end bluntly, - 
leaving a very confiderable defect, or empty {pace between them, and be- 
ing of a grafs green colour on the upper fide, and paler underneath. At 
every one of the larger divifions of the Stalk ftand Twigs with Pinne, as in 
the tops of the Branches. 
It grew in Famaica on the Moneque Savanna, and in going down Mount 
Diablo thither. | 
{t was obferved in Martinique by F.Plumier. \ find that it grows likewife 
in China by a Draught of it taken from the Life in that Country, and given 
me by Mr. Fames Cuningham , 
= rT 4 2 
ne ope: Sims 
Of Herbs with grafie Leaves. 
Erbs with graffie Leaves and lefs perfeé or Stamincous Flowers 
which are Culmiferous, are divided into thofe with large 
Seeds, or Corns, and thofe with lefler Seeds called Graffes. 
There are. very few Corns’ here, the European Kinds not 
ripening well: the others, as Rice, Guinea Corn of two forts, 
and Maizripen very well, and give great increafe, efpecially the two latter, 
but are the Food only of fome few of the meancr fort of People and 
Cattle ; Caffada Bread with Yams, and other Roots and Flower, coming from 
other parts where Wheat is plentiful, being the chief Subfiftance of the In- 
habitants. Tt 
1 doubted very much whether I fhould find in the American Vflands any 
Grafles, at leaft in Plains as our Fields in Ewrope, but! found many grafiie 
Plains, and inthem Kinds of Grafles analogous to thofe of Earope, and two 
which I could not find different from them. Whar the defign of Nature was 
in their Produ@tion feems hard to difcover, for in thefe Iflands they had 
no large Fourfooted Beafts but one, till Europeans landed there, unlefs it 
be faid that as Corn with greater Seeds ‘are for Man’s Nourifhment, {o thefe 
were appointed for the Food of Birds and Infeéts, which feed on them and 
their Ripe Seeds. 3 ce ie 
Graffes are well divided into thofe {piked or panicled, which are made’ up 
of many Spikes ; of ‘the firft there are fome few, whereof chat Panicum 
/pica divulfafeems to belong to the Panicled. 
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