EAVBEKRy HORTUS JAMAI C EN S I S. 75 



gated leaves. It has a pleasant smell, of tlie lemon kin J ; and a weak, rotighisb, aro- 

 matic taste. Bauni is appropriated to the head, stomach, and uterus ; and in all dis- 

 orders of these parts is said to do extraordinar}- service. The present practice, how- 

 ever, holds it in no great esteem, and ranks it among the weaker corroborants^. It is 

 reputed good in hypochondriac and hysteric disorders of the head and scomacli, and hy 

 outward appliiations, to ease the stingmg of bees and wasps. Infusions of the Icavis 

 in water smell agreeably of the herb, but have not much taste, though, oa being iii- 

 spissated, they leave a considerable quantity of a bitterish austere extract, 'i'lie green 

 leaf is better tiian the dry. Infusions of baiuti do not, like other aromatics, offend the 

 Lead, as is complai led of from sage, &c. It is a grateful diluent drink in fevers, espe- 

 cially if acidulated wuh limes or lemons. Cold infusions in water or spirit are far better 

 than the cohobated distilled water, and are the best preparations fioni the plant. On 

 distdiing the fresh herb with water, it impregnates the first running pretty strongly 

 with its grateful flavour. Wlien large quantities are suliiected to the operation at once, 

 there seperates and rises to the surface of the aqueous fluid a small portion of essential 

 od, which some call o/..sj/>'/Vf, and others, ol. gcrmafiis. It is of a yellowish colour, 

 and of a very fragrant smell. 



This plant is cultivated in many gardens in Jamaica, but seldom thrives with that 

 iuxurianiy that many other plants do. 



I5.-vu.\i Grass See LexMOK Gkass. 



EAYBERRY, or WILD CLOVE. MYRTUS. 



Cl. 12, OR. \. -Icosand rid mono tfj/nia. Nat. OR. Ilesperidea:. 



This is fabled to be so named from Myrsine, an Athenian damsel, and favourite of 

 Minerva, who was metamorphosed into a myrtle. 



Gen. CHAR. Calyx one-leafed, four or five cleft, bluntish, superior,' raised inter- 

 , iiahy into a sub-villose ring, permanent ; corolla has four or five petals, ovate, 

 entire, large, inserted into the calyx ; the stamens are many capillarv filaments, 

 the length of the corolla, inserted into the calycme ring, havmg roundi..ti small 

 anthers ; the pistillum has its germ inferior, two or three-celied, the seeds fixed 

 tj? the partition ; style simple, filiform-, stigma b^ant ; the pericarpium is an oval 

 -berry, umbilicated with the. caly-x, one, two, or. three-ceiled ; seeds few, kidney- 

 form. There are many species. 



ACRIS. SHARP. 



Foliis oblongo ovatis cppositis, racemis lateralibus ct tcrminalibus. 



Browne, p. 247. 



Peduncles axillary and terminating, corymbed, trichotomous, longer than the 



leaves; leaves elliptic corvv-ex, coriaceous, veined, dotted; stem arboreous. 



This tree may contend the palm of elegance with most trees. It grows slowly, and 



to a considerable size. Tne trunk is hanJsome, straight, forming a very lofty thick 



and beautiful ))\raniid. The bark in the younger trees is brown, then ash-coloured, 



and finally white, entire, or with large yellow spots ; it is very smootli and even, esjjc- 



ciafly in oJd trees, but here and there hangs down in slender shreds ; the flavour is as- 



Uingeut, not without sometumg aromatic. The tiiuber is very hard, icd, compact, 



L 2 ponderous. 



