persistent footstalks changed to thick strong spines. From the 

 axils of these leaves other branches grew, some with opposite 

 and others with alternate leaves; and from the extreme 

 branches the flowers are produced in a sort of umbel or cyme, 

 or solitary from the axils of the upper leaves. 



The calyx is a very long tube, in the faux of which the 

 petals are inserted alternating with the segments of the calyx ; 

 stamens ten, inserted into the tube of the calyx in two rows. 

 Germen inferior, one-celled, five cornered. When the petak 

 first expand they are perfectly white, but soon change to a 

 flesh colour, and finally to blood-red. Rumphius observes 

 that in the morning the flowers are white, reddish at noon, 

 rose-coloured in the evening, and the next day blood-red. 

 The changes in our plant were not quite so rapid. 



Jussieu, in conformity to Linn.<eus's opinion, has united 

 Quisqualis to his natural order of Thymelece, to which 

 order it has certainly a near affinity in the one-celled germen, 

 tubular calyx, and marcescent petals, inserted in the calyx, 

 having the same relation to it as the squamae in Gnidia, &c. 

 But in the ThymelecE the germen is superior, the calyx being 

 in no part adherent : whereas in Quisqualis the calyx 

 adheres to the germen. It is perhaps on this account chiefly 

 that Mr. Brown unites it with his order of Combretacece. 



This plant, with some others of the same natural order, 

 affords, as Mr. Brown has remarked, a strong argument in 

 favour of Jussieu's doctrine respecting calyx and corolla. 



The natives make great use of this plant. The young 

 leaves, which have a warm pungent taste like radish, are 

 eaten raw, either by themselves or mixed with lettuce ; they 

 likewise enter into various compositions for medical purposes. 

 The unripe fruit is a very efficacious remedy for worms, and 

 what is remarkable, the ripe kernel, which is sweet to the taste 

 like almonds, has likewise the same anthelmintic property. 

 But it is observed that, though some persons, and among these 

 Rumphius himself, could eat these kernels with pleasure and 

 impunity, in others they soon produced nausea, followed hy a 

 troublesome hickuping. Native of the East-Indies. Intro- 

 duced about three years ago by Messrs. Whitley, Brame, 

 and Milne, in whose stove it flowered in June last for the 

 first time, and to whom we are indebted for an opportunity 

 of taking a drawing of it. 



