jl6 HORTUS JAMAICENSTS. 295 



jnkklle, of a clarl; green colour. The fruit is spherical, and full of re<3 grains or seeds. 

 The whole tree and fruit, in every part, when broken, j^ milky. The fruit is much 

 coveted by wild pigeons. S'loane. Sloane describes five kinds of this tree. His three 

 first are thiouglit tu be the same, or at most vurieties of this species, as well as Bxowne's 

 second and fifth kinds. 



This monstrous tree is at first but a weakly climbing plant, that raises itself bv the 

 help of some atiioinirg trunk, rock, or tree; and c(5ntini:es to shoot so'.iie sk-nJcr 

 flexile radicles, or appendixes, that embrace the supporter, and grow gradually, down- 

 ward.s^ as the stem increases : liiis at length gains the summit, and begiris to shoot both 

 branches and radicles, orappendixes, more luxuriantly ; these in time reach the ground, 

 throw out ninny smaller arais, take root, and become so many stems and supporters to 

 the parent plant ; which now begins t enlarge, to throw ou-t new branches and appen- 

 dixes, and to form a trunk from the summit of its supporter ; which still continues in 

 the centre of die first radicles, interwoven in their descent, and at length augmented 

 and connected gradually into a comman mass or body about the borrowed Ibundation ; 

 which, if a v^etuble, soon begins to decay, and at length is wholly lost within the 

 luxuriant trunk, it supported. This trse is very ccmnmon in both the East and West 

 Indies, and a poor despicable creejier ni its tender state : it seldom falls when it mei^a 

 with a proper support, and geneialiy makes use of ail the arts of true policy to perfect 

 its growtii ; but, when u nee conijilete, it will live' along, time, for it throws out many 

 new appendixes for every, one that chances to tail, and eacii more useful, as they sup- 

 port the top mere iiiwr.ediateiy : nor is this all, for the roots frequently emit new shoots, 

 and these rise by the parent prop into other- trees ; and thus ome plant is sonretimes ob- 

 served to raise a wiioie grove. Breunie. 



3. AMERICANA. AMERICAN. 



Ficus Indxa folio ohlongo, obtuso-fructu minore paUide lufeo spharico. 

 Sloane, V. 2, p. 140. Arborcscens Jolio oblo)igv ovatis, buccis sub- 

 verrucosis. Browne, p. 



teaves ovate, oblong, veined, quite entire; fruits axillary, peduncled, clus- 

 tered. 



This tree has a trunk as big as ones thigh, covered with a white nr ash-coloured bark", 

 rising about twenty teet high, with br^-ncnes on every hand, with leaves placed irregu- 

 larly at their ends, two inches long and one broad, standing on half inch long foot- 

 stalks. Tiie fruit stands on short Footstalks, is round, bigger than a cherry, of a pale 

 yellow colour, having within a small thi-n pulp, and a great many round brown seeds. 

 AH parts of the tree are milky. It grew near the Rio C'.jbre. Sloane. This appears 

 to be Sloane's fourth and fifth, and Browne's third and fourth kinds. 



Fig-Trees. Besides the delicious Spanish fig, vre have a sort of wild figs, growing 

 spontaneoLwly in most parts of Jamaica, whose trees are very large and spreading : Sir 

 H. Sloane cads them ^ci Indica maxima, and makes five sorts of them. They differ 

 a little in .shape, bigness of fruit, and largeness of leaf; but othervise little or no dif- 

 ference, ail having a milky juice, which is dangerous if it Hies into the eyes: The 

 juice is thickened, b}- the sun and art, into a gum like bird-lime. It is rare to see any 

 of these trees grow up straight of themselves, but have generally iiupporters ; Wn-, 

 gruaing hy' tlie side oi' anather, they clasp rouui it^ and wlisa it huth got somehel-jlrt, , 



is. 



