ae 
—s 
The Natural Eiflory of JAMAICA. 
Wild-Plantains. 
This Tree does not rife fo high as the Plantain, the Leaves of it are not 
fo large, they are ofa blueifh or dark green Colour, not breaking with the 
Wind, as the other Kinds ; the Flowers come out at the Top of, the Stalk, 
on each Side of it, like Boxes, one within another, ranged on both 
Sides alternatively for a Foot in Length ; they are triangular, confift 
of one thick yellow Leaf, hollow and containing Stamina; this Leaf or 
Sheath not dropping off as the other Kinds. The Fruit fwells within 
it, but never grows large, neither is ic good for any thing I know of. 
It grows inthe fhady moift Woods every where in the Inland Parts 
of the Ifland. 
The Savages ufe them for covering Huts, cc. They are a Sort of Cans 
na Indica, Tertre, and have Seed like it, Rochef. 
Of the other Indian-Fig, Tune, Nochtl, or, Opuntia Kind, Cereus, &c. 
T is common'to all of this Kind that their Stalks or Branches are 
jointed, and moft Part of ‘them have each of their Joints-com- 
prefs’d and broad, which has generally given them the Name. of 
Leaves, but this Figure in a great Meafure leaves them for that-of a 
rounder one when they are old, and altho’ they really are Branches and 
not Leaves, yet, becaufe Ufe has obtain’d them to be call’d fo, they 
muft go by that Name. 
That Property that Theophrajtus gives his Opuntia of Striking-Root 
from the Leaves, is not agreeable to this, becaufe it has properly no 
Leaves, but to feveral others, as Oranges, cvc. the Leaves of which, on 
being planted in the Ground, will ftrike fome {mall Fibrills, whether from 
the Footftalk® or Gemma of the Leaf lodg’d in its A/z, I am. not certain. 
This Plant has the Name of Indian-Fig- from fome {mall Refemblance 
the Fruit hath to a Fig, as alfo that of a Prickly-Pear from. having 
fomething of the Shape of a Pear, and being withal Prickly... 
The Cerez are propagated by Seed or Leaf, as the Prickly-Pears, and 
bear nor much watering, Herm, a tees he ee 
Cafpar Brauhine and from him Parkinfon, feem to have taken the 
young Plant not grown to its due Bignefs, for a different Species of 
this, and to have given it thé Name ot -Leves Pilofa, the youtig: Plants 
appearing downy ; and when it grew.a little bigger, che Name of Haz- 
milis, It is very ordinary for the Fruit to vary in Bignefs, according 
to rainy of dry Weather, whence his two Species of Fructu majore. & 
minore, (take to be the fame Plant. ee 
The feveral Species reckon’d by Herzandez feem to come chiefly from 
the Colour of the Fruit, which taken when young is green, and from 
thence goes thro’ the intermediate Colours ’cill it. comes to a deep 
purple Colour. | = —— 
Oviedo in his Hiftory does defcribe the Tuzes in his Lib. 8. 25. Chap. 
and the 10. Book, 1. Chap. the Tree confolidating Fra€tures, by both 
which Defcriptions ic feems to appear very plainly that in the firft 
under the Name of Tuzes, he defcribes, and Figures, the Prickly-Pear 
young, or before the under Leaves are grown round. and turn’d into 
a Sore Of Stalk or Trunc; and ‘under the other Name does defcribe 
the fame grown larger and higher, and fo the under Leaves different 
ftom what they before were; fo that it may beeither the fame with 
the Privkl)-Pear, or another “Kind, which is auleiceit. Hee : - 
WN se : ) a ” 
