WARCGRAViA HOETUS JAMATCENSTS, 4^1, 



The climbing marcgravia. This curious p!a!it is freqiieii> in the vvrtoJs of Jatnaica ; 

 and appears in such various tbrtns, tiuit it i)as tjeen often mistaken for different plants, in 

 the tiliftrent stages of its growdi. It is hut a slender weakly climber at fiist, and, as it rises, 

 throws out a ttrw leaves, somewhat of the form of a heart, on both sides : thebe are sus- 

 tained by very shuit, footstalks, and stand aU'ays opposite to a numl)er of slender radical 

 fibres, whereby it sticks and grows to its supporter. By these p. cans the plant continues 

 its growth, until it gains the top. and lays Us trunk nnore comniodiuus'.s- y\'er some of the 

 larger branches of the tree; tlien it bt'^ins to strongtiien, and casts many slender, depon- 

 tlent, and sub-divided, branciiesfrom the upper parts. But, as it increases av top, the 

 tem grows thicker, separates from the supporter, throws off its row useless leaves and 

 roots, and appearsastrong withy shrub, whose trunk is frequently no less than four or five 

 inches in diameter. The l^'anches of this plant hang always downward, bearing their 

 ieaves in an alternate but distich order. The [iovve,rs are sustained by h>ng footstalks, 

 and disposed in the form of an umbeila, about the extremities of the branches ; but the 

 summit, or crown of the supporter, is constantly adorned with fjur, five, ot more, hol- 

 }ow, divergent, glandular, bodies, that occupy the centre of the umbeila: these are 

 of an arched oblong form, obtuse and roundis-h; they are hollow within, and affixed by 

 very short footstalks, that rise immediately from one side of the apertnre or opening cJiF 

 the gland ; v/hich is so disposed as to receive the water tJiat dribbles down along the 

 .branch in rainy weather. What the real use of these may be is not easily det-ermined : 

 it is, however, remarkable, that the leaves of the branches are plain, of an oblcmg oval 

 -form, with a smooth membranous edge ; while those of the j-ounger plants are always 

 observed to have many little glands, set gradually round tlve margin. Brozvnc. 



The following observations on this plant are from the manuscript of l\Ir. Anthony 



3lobin.son : 



" What'Linneus calls the corolla of this plant I think would more properly be called 

 the calyptra, and the genus might be classed among the cryplogamia ; for it appears ta 



'Hie that this conic calyptra cannot fall from the blossom by reason of its strength and 

 situation, till split open by the swelling of the inclosed fruit, which then must be fe- 



cundated; because, at the same time thecalyptra is driven off the flowers, by the 

 swelling of the fruit, the stamina must be carried avvay, which is evident, by reason of 

 tlicir situation round the base of the germen. This strange shrub rises to the h-eight of 



^fty feet, avith a ligneous stem, covered with a rough brown bark, red and streaked 

 when cut, and of a bitter astringent taste. The stem is round, two inches in diameter, 

 and sends forth lateral tiiick fibres, wherewith it embraces the tiee it hajjpens to grow 

 upon; from its lower part it detaches some slender branches, which also send forth 

 fibres ; these may be called the adherent branches, which bear, in alternate order, many 

 cordated leaves, lying flat to the tree on which they grow, giving it the appearance of 



-one of the scandent ferns ; above these it emits other branches, thicker, and shooting 

 in an t^blique direction upwards ; these are divided into lesser ; at their sides grow in 

 alternate order, smooth, dark-green, shining, leaves, of an oval form, about four 

 inches long, and one and a half broad, their margins marked vvitii some almost imper- 

 ceptible notches, and they have alternate side veins, iiardly visible : they stand upon 

 crooked, twisted, pedicels, in such manner that their faces incline downwards, and the 

 tniddle rib, which is pretty eminent, appears above. The leaves of both kinds are bit- 

 ter, but not ungrateful ; the pedicels which form the umbel are subul .ted and patent. 



'It'he strange bodies, shaped like the hood of the napellas flower, are nve in number, 



R r r 2 awl 



