MI£. a. BENTHAM 0> T TEKIfSTBCEMIACEiE. t)3 



to by Martius in his ' Systema Mat. Med. veget. Bras.,' after Copaifera, in 

 these words : ' Neque de celebri Balsamo Tamacoare Paraensium certi quid 

 afferre valeo.' The balsam is extracted from the tree in the same manner 

 as oil of Cupauba (Capivi) ; that is, by making an incision to the very heart, 

 from which the balsam slowly distils ; and in so small a quantity does it 

 exist that some days are required to fill a small bottle. The best mode of 

 collecting it is to put cotton into the hole, and when it is saturated, to 

 squeeze out the balsam. Tamacoari has the colour of old port wine, and 

 the consistency of olive oil. Its great use is in the cure of itch, for which 

 it is a more certain specific than sulphur, and has the further advantage of 

 possessing no disagreeable odour. A single application ernes the most in- 

 veterate itch in twenty-four hours, as it were by magic. It is equally effica- 

 cious in destroying lice in the heads of children. It is worth remarking 

 that the Indians on the Amazon and its tributaries have from time im- 

 memorial been aware that itch is caused by an insect, which they call 

 Curuba ; and so fine are they of sight, that with the point of a palm-prickle 

 (as, for instance, of the Tucuma) they will follow the track of the Curuba 

 under the skin until they reach the insect itself, which they extract. 



" The milk of the bark and alburnum of Tamacoari, when applied to the 

 skin, causes it to burst in blotches."— R. Spruce. 



The three supposed species described and figured by Aublet from the 

 foliage only, the flowers and fruit being unknown, must be wholly omitted. 

 With regard to two of them, C. parvifiora and C. latifolia, I can form no 

 plausible guess; the third, C. lonyifolia, from its stipules, is probably a 

 Licania, or some allied Chrysobalanaceous plant. To the same genus 

 evidently belong the specimens without flower or fruit sent by Mr. Spruce 

 from the neighbourhood of Para as those of the Caraipe or Pottery-tree, — 

 Caraipe being a native name given to several species of Licania, although 

 adopted by botanists for our Ternstrcemiaceous genus. 



The four following Ternstrcemiacece in Mr. Spruce's collection, all 

 belonging to the same tribe of Bonnetiece, appear to be quite new. 



1. Bonnetia 1'aniculata, Spruce. Foliis obovatis v. obovali-oblongis, 

 panicula laxe per anthesin ebracteata, sepalis pctalisque oblique orbi- 

 culatis, stylo 3-fido. — Arbor 20-30-pedalis, ramosa, cortice rugosa. 

 Specimina siccando odorem aromaticum scateut, ex Spruce. Folia 4- 

 pollicaria, 1 .^-2 poll. lata. Panicula terminalis, semipedalis, pyrami- 

 data, ramis compressis. Bracteas nullas vidi, v. caducissimac sunt, v. 

 plane desunt. Pedicelli crassi, ssepius terni, 3-4 lin. longi. Petala 

 semipollicaria, extus rosea, intus alba. 



Hab. Tavaloso, in the Maynensian Andes, near Tarapoto, R. Spruce, 

 n. 4801). 



2. Bonnetia parviflora, Spruce. Foliis oblongis v. obovali-oblongis, 

 panicula laxa per anthesin ebracteata, sepalis petalisque oblique 

 oblongis, stylo .'i-fido. — Arbor 20-pedalis, ramosissima, late patula, 

 pnecedenti affinis. Folia angustiora. Florcs minores, et sepala et 

 petala multo angustiora : h.xc rosea sunt. 



Hub. On the sides of mountains, near Tarapoto. H. Spma, n. U-i'>. 



