contrast well with its scarlet fruit ; and both are produced 

 plentifully at the same time, almost throughout the year. 



It probably varies in the number of stamens from four to 

 eight, as Miller, who surely describes our species, attri- 

 butes to it eight. It varies also greatly in the degree of 

 pubescence, being, as is remarked by Linnaeus, when very 

 vigorous, of a brightish green, and, when impoverished by 

 cold, of a hoary appearance. 



The berries stain paper or linen of a fine red, but fugitive, 

 colour. Miller mentions a fact, which shews an extra- 

 ordinary penetrating quality in the juice of these berries, 

 and as this might perhaps be turned to use, in inquiries 

 into the course of the fluids in some plants, we think it 

 worth recording here, especially as the observation has been 

 omitted by Professor Martyn, in his edition of Miller's 

 Dictionary. His words are, " I have made many experi- 

 ments with the juice of these berries to colour flowers, which 

 have succeeded extremely well. These were made in the 

 following manner: I pressed out the juice of the berries and 

 mixed it with common water, putting it into a phial, and 

 shaking well together, for some time, till the water was 

 thoroughly tinged ; then I cut off the flowers, which were 

 just fully blown, and placed their stalks into the phial, and, 

 in one night, the flowers have been finely variegated with 

 red. The flowers which I made the experiments on, were 

 the Tuberose and double white Narcissus." We remember 

 too to have read in some periodical work, that if the juice of 

 these berries be added to the water in which white Hyacinths 

 are blowing, the colour will rise into the flower in red 

 streaks. 



Native of the West-Indies. Commelin says, he received 

 the seeds from which he raised his plants from the East- 

 Indies. 



Cultivated according to Morison, as quoted above from 

 the Hortus Kewensis, before 1699. Communicated by 

 John Walker, Esq. of Arno's-Grove. 



