82 HORTUS JAMAICENSIS. bieivt 



T' \t wo'", T?now plant has lairge thick succulent leaves of a dark red or purple colottr, 

 Ti e i.)(/ts are lar-c and deep red, and on these oircnmstances their ijoodness depends.; 

 for the larj:er tiiey grow the more tenler they will be, and t'le deeper tlicir colour the 

 m re tiiey are estoemeJ. Ir thrives pretty well in the niounLains o!' Jamaica, hut sel- 

 aoT) (Trows luxuriantly The roots of the beet are boiled, sliced and eaten cold as sal- 

 la Js; and thev make a !:;ood pick!,;. Ii is said however to be pre;judicial to the sto- 

 nnach, and to afford little nourishment. Tiic juice both of the roots and leaves is said 

 to be a powerful errhine, occasioning a copious discharge of mucus without provoking 

 sneezing, and therf-by relieving old head aches. From the root of tliis plant sugar has 

 been extracted, by boiii ng the roots, when taken out of the earth, slicing them when 

 cold, and afterwards jK-essing out the juire ; which is lo be filtered, evaporated, and 

 th:> snyar prornred l>v chrysta;ii7,ati.)n. The process at length maybe ibund in tlie 

 New Annual Register for 1 S(X;, and in the ISth volume of tiie Transactions of the So- 

 ciety for the Eivcouragement of Arts, &c. in London. 



A large variety of this plant has also been introduced, known by the n-dme o( mans e'l 

 Ti'urzel. Tliev are raise.! from the seeds, which should be planted in a good soil. And 

 well manured from twelve to eighteen inches distant from eacii other. 



Belly-ache Weed See Cassada. 



BENJAMIN TREE. LAURUS. 



Cl. 9, OR. 1. Enneandna vionogynia. Nat. or. IloloractiS, 

 Gen. ch.\r. See Avocado Pear, p. 37. 



BENZOIN. 



Leaves nerveless, ox'ate, sharp at both ends, entire, annual. 

 This tree isa native of North America, and was introduced and first planted in the 

 botaiic garden, Bath. It grows from fifteen to twenty feet high, divided into a very 

 branchv head, having small yellowish fl i.vers, and may be pr:)pagated by seeds or lay- 

 ers. Tills tree was formerly mistaken ff)r tliat which produces the sum benjamin, 

 r/iiidi is now known to be oijtaineu from a species of styrax. The leaves are smooth and 

 of a fiiif light green colour, but tlieir under suriace is venose and of a whitish cast. 

 When bruised they emit a fijie fragrance. 



BENT-GRASS. AGROSTIS. 



Cl. ^, OR. 2. Triandria d'i^yn'a. Nat. or. Gramintc. 



This name is derived from a Greek word, signifying a field. 



Gen. CHAR.Calvx a one-flowered bivalvcd glume ; corolla bivalve, acuminate, one 

 larger than the other ; filaments longer than the corolla, with forked anthers ; the 

 pistil has a roundish gerinen, reflex styles, and longitudinaily hisped stigmas; 

 the pericarp is the corcll;;. growing to the seed, which is roundisii, and pointed 

 at. both ends. Two species are natives ot tliis island : 



.1. PURPUUASC.\S. 



