pe*BW*n* irORTUS JAMAICENSIS. 



ings, ending in eight or ten very short, spreading, reflex, styles ; the pericarp 

 an orbiculate depressed berry, marked with ten longitudinal grooves, umbilicated 

 with the pistils, and having'as many cells ; seeds solitary, Kidney-form, smooth. 

 Two species arc natives of Jamaica. 



1. DECANDRA. TEtf-STAMKNKD. 



Solanum racemosum America?! urn. Sloane, v. !, pi 199. Assurgens 

 ramosa, spicis Hunan longis.simis, sustentaculis trigonis. Browne, 

 p. 232. 

 Flowers ten-stamened, ten-styled.- 

 This plant is also known by the na ne of Surinam ot'jufcclio calalue, red-~a'eed> and 

 $x-glove. It is very common in Jamaica, and has a thick fleshy, perennial, root, di- 

 vided into several parts, as large as middling parsnips. From this rise many purplish, 

 herbaceous, stalks, about an inch thick and six or seven feet long, which break into 

 many branches, irregularly set- with large oval, sharp-pointed leaves, supported on 

 short footstalks.- These at first are of a fresh green colour, but as they grow old they 

 turn reddish. At the joints and divisions of the branches come forth long bunches of 

 small blueisb -coloured flowers, consisting of five concave petals each, surrounding ten 

 stamina and ten styles. These are succeeded by round depressed berries, having ten 

 cells, each- of which contains a single smooth seed. The Portuguese had formerly a- 

 trick of mixing the juice of the berries with their red wines, in order to give them a 

 deeper colour ; but as it was. found to : base I ' flavour, and to make the wine delete- 

 rious, the matter was represented to his Portuguese Majesty, who or Jewed all the stems 

 to -be cut down- ;/earry before* they produced flowers, thereby to prevent any further 

 adulteration. ^-The same practice was common in France '.ill it was prohibited by an 

 edict or Louis XVI. and his predecessor, on pain of death. 



It is indigenous ta this island, and found in all the cooler hills and mountains, where 

 jt grows very Luxuriantly. Jt rises generally to the height of four or five feet, divided 

 towards the top.. vlt is called either red or white, from the colour of the (lower-stalks, 

 f )r all the branches terminate in Long and slender spikes of those colours. The leaves 

 and tender shoots are frequently used for greens. 



The inspissated juice has been thought a specific, or at least a very powerful remedy, 

 in open cancers, applied in form of a plaister. Browne. 



salt and lime-iiuce in warm water; and a dreiien ol Hour ot brimstone in gruel, sweet, 

 ened with meiasses, may be given at the same time to assist the discharge. The poul- 

 tice iias been found no less effectual in healing sores on the human body.* This plant 

 is the same as the -, red ^ weed or poke of Virginia and New England, from which the 

 Indians prepare, a red dye for staining their baskets, skins, and several other manu- 

 factures. 



Some 



-In Mr. A. Robinson's MSS. a case is related of the cii'-e of afarcied mu!e ; bv the -pokewced. It ]&i 

 biTeri tor several years full of fistulas and running ulcers al. over liis bedy and legs. "The roots of both Hie redU 

 and green sort were taken, just before the blossom appeared, pounded very fine, which-was applied to the - 



'.ilceis-, .after being washed. In a short time the mule was so-.tnd, and the hair grew on the: parts tUai UaJ 



}>*< 6re, The same application kills izi destroys vermin iu-sorss in two dressings. 



