4** nOHTUS JAMAICEN?rS. xiGNOSt 



LiGNUM ViT.^ ORf OCKWOOD TREE. CUAIACUAr. 



Ci.. 10, oji. 1. JJt'candiui monosynia. Nat. or. Griiinaks, 



This generic n; nie is denveJ froni the In ia.a cm koa.iacan. 



Gen. CHAN. Calyx a five-loiived periantli ; loaflets ovate -olil on cj, concave, ohtTise, 

 t^ljreadinji, ileculucius ;. tiic two outer ones a little smaller; the corolla has five 

 jjctals, rijuiidisli-obovatfi, obtuse, concave, spreaiiinij-, thvice the ienjrth of tho 

 talyx, enduig 111 sliort <laws, inserted into the receptacle ; the stamens are snbti. 

 late filaments, broader at the base, n])right, shorter than the corolla, inserted into 

 the receptacle ; anthers deciduous, oblonjj, fiiialiy recurved ; the pistil has a germ 

 broader above, angular, pedicelled;. a siiiialate style, equal in length to the sta- 

 J^.iens; and a simple acute stignia; the pericarp two to five capsules, on very short 

 pedicels, compressed, membranaceous, covered witii a pidpy rind, gibbous on 

 the outside, united on the inside, sepecating when ripe, gaping; seeds solitary,, 

 bony, oblong. One species is a native of Jamaica. 



OFFICINALE. OFFICINAL.. 



Priino rel e-'onynw aljinis arbor, lie. Sioane, v. 2, p. 133, t. ^12y f- 

 3, 4, 5, 6. Fdiis fere hn pel inlatisy.bijv satis, oborahs et lenittr' 

 radiatis ; pinnisct ravndis diclioiomis. Browne, p. 225. 



Leaflets two pairs, obtuse. 



teaves pinnate ; leaflets two pairs, elliptic,, sessile^, entire, veined,, shining. Pe-^ 

 ^uncles terminating, round, shorter than the petioles, one-flowered; calycine leaflets 

 ovate, convex, pubesctut; jietals ovate, entire ; ft. aments ten, contiguous at the base ; 

 anthers incumbent, biHd at the base, yeitow; germ ob-cordate,. compressed ; style 

 permaneiH (.seeming double) ; caj)&iile ob-eordate, angular, on a shortpedicel, five- 

 cornered, witli very narrow winged iihs on the round back ot the angles, succulent, 

 smooth, t'erruginous or bright yellow, from two to five-celled, (five seeds sometimes 

 in each cell). Partitions quite simple, membranaceous, fixed to the middle of the 

 cover. Seeds large, thicker and bUuit above, attenuated below, convex on one side,: 

 angular on the otlier, rufescent. Two or three cells are frequently abortive, but the 

 %estigesof them remain. The rind. of the capsule is continuous, and the partition^ 

 indivisible. 



This tree grows in great abundance on the south side of Jamaica, but is seldom or 

 ever found on the north. It is an ever green, of a dark gloomy cast, which continues- 

 its verdure through the driest seasons, h grows frequently to a very considerable size,i. 

 forty feet high, and fifteen to eighteen inches in diameter, but slowly, requiiing many" 

 years to bring it to periVcliou.- The roots are thick in proportion to thegrowth of the 

 tree, and run a great way into the ground, contrary to the ttsual growth of timber trees, 

 which general. y shoot tue largest prongs of their roots in a horizontal directior*. The 

 liark IS thick, smooth, brownish, and brittle. The wood is firm, solid, and ponderous, 

 appearing very resinous, of a blackish-yellow colour within, and of a hot aromatic 

 taste i It IS cross-grained, the strata running obliqiiely into one another in the form of 

 an X. As timber it answers where strength and cluration is required ; it is so heavy as 

 to sink in water ; it takes a fine polish, and is sometimes marbled with different colours. 

 It is so hard as often to break the tools employed upon it, and is of great use for mak- 

 yig wheels and cogs for mills, blocl^ for ships, bowls,, mortars, and oilier utensils : it 



is 



