LiNNitus appears to have been deceived by the examina- 

 tion of dried fpecimens, when he fuppofed that the leaves of 

 this tree were alternate : their natural fituation is undoubtedly 

 oppofite, though it fometimes happens towards the extremities 

 of the branches, and efpecially in fuch moots as are made after 

 the branches have been cut off, that the leaves deviate more 

 or lefs from a directly oppofite pofition, yet, ftill the approxi- 

 mation of the pairs mows their natural tendency to being op- 

 pofite. 



It was chiefly on account of the double calyx that Dr. So- 

 lan der feparated this fpecies from the genus Myrtus, but 

 Swartz in his Obfervationes remarks, that feveral fpecies 

 have this inferior calyx ; but it is not, he fays, fufficient to 

 feparate them from the reft, being more of the nature of a 

 bra6tea than a calyx. In the flower this fuppofed inferior 

 calyx is fo minute as not to be obfervable, but perhaps in- 

 creafes in the fruit. 



The dried fruit of this tree is imported in large quantities 

 from the Weft-India iflands, and fold in the fhops under the 

 name of Allspice or Jamaica Pepper. 



The figure in Hughes's hiftory of Barbadoes is a very good 

 reprefentation of our plant, though referred by Martyn in his 

 edition of Miller's dictionary to Myrtus acris j and confidered 

 even by Browne as a' diftinci fpecies. But Dr. Sol an der 

 was of opinion that the latter author might, after his return to 

 England, accommodate his figure and defcription to the Lin- 

 nean character. There is however fome difficulty ftill re- 

 maining to be cleared up refpefting Myrtus acris of Swartz, 

 the caryophyllata of [acquin ; for the latter author ex- 

 prefsly fays, that the fruit contains feven or eight feeds ; whereas 

 figure 3 of plate 155 of Plurenet, referred to both by 

 Jacouin and Swartz, is defcribed and figured as containing 

 two feeds only. In our opinion it really reprefents variety (3 

 of M y r t u s Pimcnta. 



The Allspice of our fhops is a round fruit varying much 

 in fize, but in the larger ones, which alone approach to ma- 

 turity, we have generally found^.two diftinft cells, with one 

 hemifpherical feed in each. 



The frefli leaves are pleafanter to the tafte than the dried 

 berries, and abound with a highly aromatic effential oil, which 

 appears in innumerable pellucid dots. 



Is propagated by layers. Our drawing was taken from a 

 fine flowering plant in Mr. Vere's ftove in May. 



