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This genus of plants is ranged in the third feclion of 

 LinnaiLis's tenth clafs, intitkd Decandria Trigynia, 

 which includes the plants whofe flowers have ten fta- 



mina and three ftyles. 

 The Species are, 



1. Malpighia {Glabra) foliis ovatis integerrimis gk- 

 bris, pedunculis unibellacis. Horc. Cliff. 169. Mal- 

 pighia zvitk frnooth^ cvaU entire leaves^ and tanbellated 

 Joot'ftalks, Cerafus Jamaicenfis, frudu tetrapyreno. 

 Hort. Amft. I. p. 145. Jamaica Cherry rcith a fruit 

 having four feeds ^ commonly called Barbadoes Cherry. ^ 



2. Malpighia {Ptinicifolia) foliis ovato-lanceolatis, 

 acuminatis, glabris, pedunculis iimbellatis. Mal- 

 pighia i^ith cvaU fpear-foapcd, fiiwoth leaves^ ending in 

 acute points^ and tmbellated foot-fialks. Malpighia ma- 

 ll punici facie. Plum. Nov. Gen. 46. Malpighia zvith 

 the appearance cf Pomegranate. 



3. Malpighia (Incana) foliis lanceolatis fubtus incanis, 

 pedunculis umbellatis alaribus. Malpighia with fpear- 

 fhaped leaves^ hoary on their under fide^ and umbellated 

 foot'ftalks^ proceeding from the ivings of theflalk, 



4. Malpighia (JJrens) foliis cordato-lanceolatis, fetis 

 decumbentibus rigidis, racemis lateralibus. Malpighia 

 "with fpear heart-fljaped leavp^ having rigid declining 

 briflles^ and bunches of flowers proceeding from theftdcs 

 of the fialks, Malpighia latifolia, folio fubtus fpino- 

 fo. Plum. Nov. Gen. 46. Broad-leaved Malpigha^with 

 fpines growijig on the under Jide of the leaf 



5. Malpighia (Nitida) foliis ovatis acutis glabris, pe- 

 dunculis umbellatis alaribus terminalibufque. Mai- 



. pighia with oval^ fmootb^ acute-pointed leaves^ and urn- 

 bellatcd foot'flalks^ proceeding from the fides and at the 

 ends of the branches, 



6. Malpighia {Paniculata) foliis oblongo-cordatis acu- 

 minatis glabris, pedunculis paniculatis, alaribus. ter- 

 minalibufque. Malpighia with oblongs' heart-fhaped^ 

 fmooth leaves^ ending in acute points^ and paniculated 

 foot-fialks proceeding from the ftdes and ends of the 

 branches. Apdtyfiutn fruticdfum, folio pblongo acu- 

 minato, floribus racemofis. Sloan. Cat. 89. Shrubby 

 Bogfbane mth an oblong acute-pointed leaf and flowers 



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growing in ciufiers. 



7. Malpighia {Anguftifolia) foliis lineari-lanceolatis, 

 fetis decumbentibus rieidis. pedunculis unbellatis 

 2\2ir\hws:' Malpighia with linear fpear-fhaped leaves^ ri- 

 gid declining brtftles^ and foot-ftalks having umbels of 



' flowers proceeding from the fides of the branches. Mal- 

 pighia anguftifolia, folio fubtus fpinofo. Plum. Nov. 

 Gen. 46. Narrow-leaved Malpighia with fpines under 

 the leaves, 



8. Malpighia {Illicifolia) foliis lanceolatis dentato-fpi- 

 nofis fubtus hifpidis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 426. Malpighia 

 with fpear-fhaped leaves^ indented and prickly^ whofe 

 under fides are fet with fpiny hairs. Malpighia an- 

 guftis & acumiqatis aquifolii foliis. Plum. Nov. Gen. 



46. Malpighia with narrow and acute-pointed Holly 

 leaves. • . *"■>- - ■ .-^. . - .- 



9. Malpighia (Lucida) foliis. .qblongo-ovatis'/pbtu- 

 fis glabris, pedunculis r^ccmoCis ^hnhus. Malpighia 



.with oblong oval leaves^ which are obtufe lani fmooth^ 

 and branching foot'fialks of flowers proceeding from the 

 ^Rdes of the branches. l>*- '.-'■ -^-,:/ ' ;' 



10. Malpighia (Qra^ry^) foliis luboyatis dentato-Ipi- 

 nofis, pedunculis um^ons^ ' Malpighia with^ leaves 



. ' nearly ovaU indented^ ana prickly^ and foot-Jialks with 

 me flower. Malpighia numilis/ilicis cocci-glandi- 

 ■ ferse foliis. Plum. Nov. Gen. '46. Low Malpighia with 

 leaves like the Kermes Oa^, , . ; 



.The firft fort is commonly cultivated in the Weft- 

 Indies for the fake of its fruit ; this tree ufually 

 grows to the height of fixteen or eighteen feet, having 

 a {lender ftem, covered with a light brown bark. 

 ^Thc leaves are produced oppofite ; they are oval, 

 fmooth, ending in acute poins, and continue all the 

 year, ■' The 'flowers are produced in bunches upon 

 pretty long foot-ftalks, which come out from the fide 

 and at the end of the branches; ^thefe are compofed 

 of five roundifli petals,' which are of a Rofe colour, 

 ■joined at their bafe. The flowers are fucceeded by 

 red fruit, ftiaped like thofe of the fmall wild Cherry, 



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and of the fame fize, havin<>- fcvcral furro 



ows 





inclofing four angular furrowed ftoncs, fu: rounded 

 by a thin pulp, which has an agrteablc acid lla^ou*-'- 

 the fruit of this ofren ripens in Enirhnd. 



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The fecond fore grows naturally in 

 rifes with a fnrubby ftaHv ten or twelve t 

 viding mto feveral llenclcr fpreacling branches, cover- 

 ed with a light brown bark, garniOicd with oval 

 fpear-ftiaped, fmooth leaves placed oppolite, cndino- in 

 acute points. The flowers arc produced in h-nall um- 

 bels at the end of the branches, upon fhorr fo6t-(l;in;s. 

 they are of a pale Rofe colour, and compofed of fiv^ 

 obtufe concave petals which are indented, havino- lon-r 

 narrow tails, by v/hich they are joined ; thefe furead 

 open, and in the center is fituated the roundilh' acr- 



na which fpread afunder. 



men, fupporting three ftyles, attended by ten fta^.i- 



The germen afterward 

 turns to aroundifli pulpy berry with many furrowo 

 red when ripe, inclofing three or four hard ant^ular 

 feeds. The fruit of this fort is eaten by the inhabitants 

 of the ifles in America. 



The third fort grov/s naturally at Campeachv, from 

 whence it was fcnt me by the late Mr. kobcrt Millar. 

 This rifes v^ith a ftrong woody ftalk eighteen or twen- 

 ty feet high, dividing into many branches, covered 

 with a brown fpotted bark, garniflied with fpcar- 

 ftiaped leaves placed oppofite, which are hoary on 

 their under fide. The flowers come out in umbels 

 from the fide of the branches ^ they are of a Rofe co- 

 lour, and are fucceeded by oval channelled fruit, like 

 thofe of the former fort. 



The fourth fort grows naturally in Jamaica, from 

 whence the late Dr. Houftoun fent me the feeds. 

 This rifes with a woody ftalk from fifteen to eighteen 

 feet high, dividing into many pretty firong branches, 

 /whicff are furrowed, and covered with a brown hark. 

 The leaves are from'' three to four inches "long, and 

 one bi;oad at their bafe, where they are rounded in 

 form of a hear'tj leiTeninff gradually to the point; 

 they are covered on their under fides with flinging 

 briilly hairs fo clofely, as^torehc!er it very trouble- 

 fometo handle them, for thefe hairs faftxn themfdves 

 into the flefh, and are difficult to get out again. The 

 flowers are produced in umbels from the fide of the 

 branches •, they are or a light purple colour, and 

 fhaped like thofe of the other fpecies ; they are fuc- 

 ceeded by oval furrowed fruit like that of the for- 

 mer fort. This is called in the Weft-Indies, Couha^^e, 

 or Cowitch Cherry. 



The fifth fort grows naturally at Carthagena in New^ 

 Spain, from wnence the late Dr. Houftoun fcnt rfid 

 the feeds.. This rifes with a fiirubby ftalk about ten 

 feet high, covered with a light brown Ipotted bark, 

 branching out regularly at the top on every fide ; the ^ 

 leaves are oval, fmooth, and end in acute points, 

 ftanding oppofite, of a light green on the upper fide, 

 but paler on the under. The flowers come out froin 

 ■ the fide of the ftalks in fmall umbels, ftanding ereft; 

 tTie foot-ftalks of the umbels are fcarce an inch Ion ^ 

 They are of a pale blufli cglour, fliapcd like thofe of 

 "the former forts; thefe are fucceeded by roundifn 

 furrowed berries with a red ikin, covering three hard 



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from 



angular feeds. ; / - . V 

 The fixth fort grows naturally in Jamaica 

 wHencetHe late Dr. Houftoun fent the feeds to Eng- 

 land. This rifes'with feveral flender fiirubby ftalkx 

 frorii five to fix feet high, garhifi^cd v/ith oblor^g 

 heart-fliaped leaves, four inches long and one incli 

 and a quarter broad at the bafe, where they are round- 

 ed in tv/o heart-fliaped lobes, gradually diminifliing 

 to the point ; they are fmooth, and of a pale yellowifh 

 green, placed oppofite. -The flowers are produced 

 in loofe panicles from the fide and at the end of the 

 branches; they^ are of a light purple colour, Inapea 

 like thofe of the other fpecies, but fmalier -, the nui 

 is more pointed, and not fo much furrc/^ved. 

 The feventh fort was fcnt me from the ifbnd Barbu- 

 da: this rifes with a flirubby ftalk feven or eight feet 

 high, covered with a bright purplifli bark which is 

 fpotted and furrowed, dividing toward the top into 



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