260 H^RTUS JAMAICENSI-S. -*ats 



equal, as long as the disk, sub-viTiembranaceons ; corolla compovind, "varionsj sta- 

 nieiis in the hermaphrodites, five capillary very short filaments; anthers cylindrical 

 tubular; pistil i a the herniupliroditcs has a short germ, a fiiiform style, loi.g-er 

 than the stamen, an^l a thickis!i,,';ti5jma ; there is no pericarp ; calyx scarcely 

 changed ; seeds iti the hern^aphrodites solitary, oblong, compressed ; dewn ca- 

 .pillurj, stipulate ;. receptacle naked. .Three species, are Jiatives oJjimaica. 



1. NUTANS. .KODDING. 



Dens leoni's, fulio subfiis iacano, flore purpureo. Rloane, v.' 1 , p. 555, 

 t. 1 50, f. 2. Eoliis radical ibiis villous is, ob-wafis, subius lanugittosis 

 incants ; scaposimplicintcdomonojloro. ^Prowne, p. 310. . 



Scape one-flowered, without any bracte ; flower nodding ; leaves lyrate, obtuse. 

 This is an annua! stemless plant, about a foot liigh. 'It has reddish roots. The lea%'es 

 js.re radical, three inches long, petioied, y/edge-sliaped, sometimes ovate, having near 

 the top several deep incisures, gradually attenuated at the base, white tomentose be- 

 neath, dark green above. 'In tlie middle of the leaves rise one or inore naked stalks, 

 pale green, downy, haying a solitary nodding flower ; scales of the calyx tomentose at 

 tlie base ; corolla radiate ; coroilets of the disk ,five-cleft, white ; of the ray, ligulate, 

 longer than the calyx, linear, bifi J, purple ; seeds angular, flying off when ripe. 

 Tiiis plant is generally found in moist shady places, but thrives best in a cool gravelly 

 soil. Browne says it is reckoned an excellent diuretic, and frequently used. Sloane 

 says the decoction of it is given to women in child-bed ; and tliat it dissipates wind, 

 provokes the catamenia, is good against convulsions, takes away gripes, and is. a re- 

 medy against all sorts of cold, being hot and bittei-. 



2. ALEn.'VNS. --WHITE. 



Scape one-fio\yered, y/ithout any bracte ; flower nearly erect ; leaves laiiceolate- 

 ovate, tomentose beneath, indistinctly serrate backwards. 



Root annual, simple ; leaves radical, a finser's length, webl>ed above, white toman- 

 tose beneath ; scape longer than the leaves, more tomentose at top ; calyx oblongs 

 imbricate J scales somewhat pappose, linear, acute; seeds striated ; down rufescent. 



3. PUMILA. D\yAUF. 



Scape one-flowered, v/ithout any bracte, erect leaves lyrate, gashed, tooth. .- 

 lettedj tomentose. 



DATE-PLUM. DIOSPYROS. 



Cl. 23, OR. 2. Polygamia dioecia. Nat. or. Bicorna. 



'fThis name is derived from two Greek words signifying divine wheat. 



^EN. CHAR. Hermaphrodite calyx a one-leafed four-cleft perianth ; corolla cn- 



leafed, pitcher shaped, four-cleft; stamens eight (only six), bristle-form; an- 



.thers oblong, unproductive; the pistil has a round turbinated, and hairy, germ; 



^tyle single, half four- cleft ; stigmas obtuse, two-cleft j the pericarp is a globose 



ie:rj^. 



