43 HOIITUS JAMAICEiNSlS. lyvCR 



LACE-BAllK-TREE. DAPHNE. 



Cl. 8, OR. I.' Octanilria moiwg^jnia, Nat. or. VepteaiLe, 

 CCN. CHAR No caljx; corolla oiie-))ttult;J, funnel-form, withering, including 

 the stamens; tube c) lindric, luiperi'oryte, longer tiian the border; border foni'- 

 cleft, ilivibious ovate, acute, tkit, sprcadnig; the stamens eight filamenis, short, 

 inserted into the tube; the alternate ones lower; anthers roundish, erect, two- 

 celled; the pisul lius an ovate germ, a ver^' short style, and a headed, flat-de- 

 pressed stio ma ; the pt ntarp is a roundish one-celled berry ; seed single, round- 

 ish fleshy. Three species of this genus are natives of Jamaica. 



1. LAGETTO, 



Laiirifolio arher folie latieie longo muerovato lavi splendenfi, cortice 



interiove in telas pluiin as linearum o'mulasexteiisili. Sloane, v. 2, 



p. 22, t. 168, f. I, 2, 3, & t. ley, f. 1. Fvliis majoribus, corda^ 



tis, nitidis, pet iolis sanipipollicaribus iucidentibus. Browne, p. 371^ 



*- t. 31, f. 5. 



Spikes panicledj terminatiog ; loaves ovate-acute. 



It has a lanrel-like leaf, and iherefurc called by Sloane arbor laurifoUa. The wood 

 is white ; leaves four inches long, and two and a half broad near the base, of a yellowish. 

 green colour, shining, thick, and smooth. It is common in the woods of Vere, Cla- 

 rendon, and St. Elizabeth. The inner bark is of a fine texture, very tough, and divi- 

 sible into a number of thin filamentous lamina, whicl>, being soaked in water, may be- 

 drawn out b) the fingers into a retiiuilum, resembling fine lace so nearly as to be scarcely 

 distinguished i'roin it. The la^lies of the island are extremely dexterous in making^ 

 caps, ruffles, and complete suits of lace with it ; in order to bleach it, after being 

 drawn out as much as it will bear, they expose it stretched to the sunshine, and sprinkle 

 it frequently with water. It bears washmg extremely well, with common soap, or the 

 curatoe soap, and acquires a degree of whiteness equal to the best artificial lace. There 

 is no doubt but very fine clothes might be made with it, and perhaps paper. The wild 

 negroes have made apparel with it of a very durable nature. The common use to 

 which it is at present applied is rope-making. The Spaniards are said to work it into 

 cables, and the Indians employ it in a variety of different fabrics. It may, perhaps, be 

 of service to Great Britain as a manufacturing natron, that the inhabitants of these co 

 lonies are very seldom disposed to improve what nature offers, or apply many produc- 

 tions here to the obviotis uses for which, they are intended. Necessity, that great spur 

 to such improvement, is wanting to stimulate; or otherwise they would soon find out 

 methods of turaing them to account. Long. Sloane relates that Charles II. had a 

 cravat made of the bark of this tree, which was presented to him by Sir Thomas Lynch^- 



The lace-bark-tree grows on high rocky hills twenty feet high. The trunks straight^ 

 the wood soft, the bark thick, and may be separated into twenty oc thirty lamina, white 

 and fine, like gauze. 



It has the sensible qualities of mezereon, but in a greater degree. A drachm of it, 

 to two pounds of sarsaparilla decoction, is useful in confirmed lues, chronic rheuma- 

 tisa\s, and pains of the bones froni lues of the yaws. Wright, 



2. TrNW<M4U, 



