231. H'ORTUS JAMAICENSFS. coraioe 



It is i>ropagated by slips or euttings, or by the seed. It blossoms in three yeaxa from 

 the seed, aiitl has yn-uisg pods about iht; Jiriiddk: of February ; and ijy. tlie latter end of 

 Marcli Tiie seed is full yrovyii. and of a beautiful retl colour. Tbe prickly species make 

 good iVnces. They rise to the li.eiuht of six teen, or eighteen feet. Thuv were proba- 

 bly both introduced by the Spaniards, to be planted among their cocoa,y'alks, where 

 they lay most exposed to the weather, to.brtiak the,impeti!osity t>f the wind; and hence 

 their coiunion ajipellation of mail re de cacao, or hiother ofcaciio. 



A seed of the bean tree, being planted by a gentieman.in his garden, for experiment 

 sake^ it was found, in two years nine monchs, to luue grown Lo the height of seven^ 

 feet, measured, ffoni tlieJ)asc of the rc'pt to Uie brauches. Tne lyiiekness of its rscent, 

 and sturdiness,"provc it admirably well tidapted to be the protector oi'the young tender 

 cacao plants. Zowif, p. 78H.- 



Itay sa}-s that tbe inhabitants of Malabar make sheaths of the wood for swords and 

 knives... Tiiey.nsethe satne, togeth-er .wit-h the bark, in washing, a sort of garments 

 M'hich the.v call sarassas ; and make of the. flowers the confection cai'vl. The leaves 

 pulverised and boiled with theniatnre cocoa nut, consume venerwil buboes, and ease 



lu wuiiicn ; unii iiie sanie eixtijL iuuuvv!> iium lu' ui^e .ui tiie Dinu ieyigai,eu wiui vinegui, 

 or swallowing the kernel stripped of its red jiellicle. The juice of the leaves, taken 

 with oil scrgelim, mitigates venereal jiains ; clrank with an infusion of .rice, it stops 

 :Uixes ; made inu> a caiaplasnv with the leaves of beteleira, it destro3-s wonns in old 

 dcers ; and worked with oii, it cures the psora and itching. Sloane. 



Two other species of thio,.gemis have been introduced, the picta, or prickl^'-leavej 

 coral tree, a native of the East Indies ; and the herbacea, or herbaceous coral tree, a 

 native of South Carolina. 



CORATOE. AGAVE. 



Cl. 6, OPu. l.IIexandriamonagi/nie. Nat. or. Coronarite. 



This generic name is derived from a Greek word, signifving admirable, glorious. 



Gf.N. char. There is no calyx ; corolla, one-petaled, funnel (bell) shaped ; border 

 six-parted, equal; parts lancsolate-erect ; the stamens are filiform erect filaments, 

 longer than the corolla ; anthers linear, shorter than the filaments, \ersatile : the 

 pistil is an oblong germ, growing thinner tov\ards. both ends, infierior : style fili- 

 ibnn, the length of tiie stamens, three-cornered ; stignia headed, three-cornered \' 

 the pericarp is. an ublcivg three-cornered capsule, three-celled, tluee-valved : 

 reeds numerous. One species is a native of -Jamaica. Linneus separated this 

 genus from the aloe, because the stamens and style aj'e exteoded- much longer 

 than the corolla, and the aoroUa rests upon the germ. There is also another dif- 

 ference in the growth of the plants, wliich is, that all the agaves have their central 

 leaves closely folding over each other, and embracing the fiowcr-steni, which l& 

 ibrrrjed in riie ccjntre; so that these, never flo.wer until all the leave-'^ are expande*!;^ 

 icd. when the flower is ua,5t t)ie plants die jjvhercss tbe fio-,ver-3tem of the aloe is. 



^ 2H'oduceA 



