jirfETt nORTUS JAMAICENSIS. n 



BITTER WOOD. XYLOPIA. 



Cl. >3, OR. 7. Pol^and-ria polygi/nia. ^Nat. OR. Coadiniafa. 



This senus was na.incd bv Dr. Bro>vne xvloniorum, bciny' the Greek word for tlie 

 ^Bgli.sh name, but Linneus .shortened it to xylo])ia. 



Gen. CH.4R.- Calyx a thj-ee- leaved perianthium ; leaflets crt'ate, concave, sliarpi.^li, 

 <!ecidiious ;. corolla six-peta!led, sessile, linear-lanceolate, eoriaceou.s, the three 

 outer.larger and thicker ; there are scarcely anj- stamina, but nuiiierous oblong- 

 anthers, fastened lo the receptacle at the base of tiie germs ; the pist ilium has 

 from two to fifteen germens, verv small, fastened to a three-corne-red receptacle ; 

 no styles ; stigma long and very slender : the pericarpinm has frora two to fifteen 

 capsules, pedicelled, four-cornered, corapressed, coriaceous, one or two- celled, 

 two-valved ; the seeds are solitary or two together, roundish, smooth, within a, 

 succulent hemispherical aril. There are onlv three species, tv.o of whicli are na- 

 tives of Jamaica ; 



1. Ml'RICATA. MUREXED. 



f'ruticcmvi ; foUis ovaio ananniat/'s, pvoductis, altcrnis ; capmlis 

 piinctdtis ; floribiis coiifcriis ad alas. Browne, p. 250, t. .5,. f.;2. 



Xeaves lanceolate, pointed, with stiff bristles underneath, bearded at the top ; 

 pedtmcles many flowered ; fruit muricate. 



Browne calls this tiie .'.va//-er /;;7'('r K'oof/, and sa^'s this little tree was found at the 

 vfoot of tiie nsountains in Sixteen IMile W'alk, where it grew to the height of fifteen or 

 'tvtenty feet^ but adds be made no remark on its bark or wood, 



5. GLABRA. SMOOTH. 



-FoUis ampliorihii.';, nitidis, ovatis.; pctiolis brevibusi fructibus gla^ 

 bris. Browne, p. 25i. 



Lea-ves oblong-m'ate, smooth ; peduncles one-flowered, sub-geminate ; fruits 

 smooth. 



Browne calls this the larger hitler xvood, and'says, "I met with this tree in the 

 -BQOuntains, back of Bull Ba\, where it grew to a very considerable size, and raised its 

 -tranches to the height of fifty or sixty feet ab<;ve the root. The wood, bark, and ber- 

 ries, have an agreeable bitter taste, not unlike tiiat of orange seed ; and would proba- 

 bly prove excellent medicines, if brought into use. The wild pigeons feed much upon 

 the berries, and owe all that delicate bitterish flavour, so peculiar to them in the season, 

 wholly to this part of their food. I have cat many of the berries just olf the tree, and 

 found them both agreeable to the jxilate and grateful to the stomach. The bark is also 

 richly impregnated with tiie same juice, as well as the wood, and both jield a very 

 agreeable bitter in the month, while fresh ; but that delicacy diminishes greatly after 

 they are dried. The wood is easily wrought, and esteemed as a good timber wood ; 

 but must be used where it may iwt be easily exposed to tJie weather. This tree out^ht 

 to be cultivated, for it will probabl}^ be found very serviceable in time ; it seeds at Mr. 

 Anderson's mountain nea.r the Mine." Broxcne. 



This tree has been confounded with the quassia polygama by Long, and in the Lin- 

 nae^ index to Barixam, from whom indeed all Long's observations upon it a"re tuken ; 



O and 



