Dr Balfour's Description of Fare Plants. 369 



centrali infra apicera appenso, anatropo ; styli ovariis continui*, 

 basi discreti, mox in unicum staminibus longiorera, contortum 

 coaliti ; stigma quinque-sulcum. Draper 5, vel abortu pauciores, 

 sessiles, patientiusculae, uniloculares, monospermae. Semina in- 

 versa, testa raerabranacea. Kmhryonis exalbuminosi, orthotropi 

 cotyledones caniosa) ; ratlicula brevissiraa, inter cotyledones re- 

 tracta, supera. — Arbor Guianensis nunc in Antilles aJvccta ; 

 foliis altemis, impari-pinnatis, pctiolis alatis, foliolis oppositis^ 

 integerrlmis, nitidis ; floribus majusculis, coccineis, in racemot 

 terminales, simplices vel ramozos dispositis, pedicellis hasi bracte- 

 atis, sub apice articulatis, ad articulum hibracteolatis. Endlicher. 



Specific Chakacter. — Arbor glabra, foliis impari-pinnatis, petiolis 

 alatis, racemis terra inalibus, floribus magnis rubicundis. 



This plant is the original source of Quassia-wood, which was first 

 made known by Linnaeus about the middle of last century. It 

 was named by him after a negro called Quassi, who used the wood 

 in Surinam as a febrifuge. It is a tall shrub, attaining a height 

 of 15 feet, found in Surinam, Guiana, and Columbia. The Quassia 

 of tlie shops is the produce of a large forest tree. Quassia exceha 

 of Linnaeus, (Simaru6a('a7ceZ«a, DC , and Picrcena excelsa^'Lm^Xej. 



The specimen of Quassia amara in the Edinburgh Botanic Garden 

 was sent by Professor Syme, who reared it at Milbank, from seeds 

 which had been transmitted to Dr Christison in a germinating con- 

 dition. It is a vigorous plant 6 feet high, branching chiefly at the 

 upper part. The stem is 3 inches in circumference at the base. 

 Bark of a light-gray colour, somewhat wrinkled ; in the young 

 branches reddish. Leaves varying much in form. Those at the 

 lower part of the stem are simple, elliptical, and acuminated ; 

 while thee at the upper part are imparl -pinnate, with more or 

 less elliptical, pointed pinnae. Between these two extremes there 

 are all gradations ; some have a slight contraction about the lower 

 third of the lamina ; others have a distinct winged petiole, sepa- 

 rated from the lamina by an articulation ; others have a single 

 lateral pinna developed, others two, and others four. The 

 complete leaf has two pairs of lateral pinnsB (bijugate), and 

 an odd leaflet at the end, the petiole being winged through- 

 out, and distinct contractions and articulations occurring at the 

 points where the pinnaB are given off. The plant, during the first 

 year of its growth, produced only simple undivided leaves, in 

 which the lamina and petiole were continuous. The young leaves 

 now produced, all exhibit the impari-pinnate character. In the 

 simple leaves, the lamina is large and the petiole short ; the largest 

 are 9-10 inches long, and about 3 J inches broad. They have a 



