246 HORTUS JAMAICENSIS. tup.meris 



TURKEY BLOSSOM; TRIBULUS. 



Cl. 10, ok. ?.l.-^-Decandria niortogy?iia. NaT. OR. Gruinale*. 

 Gen. char. See Caltrops, v. 1, p. 114. 



CISTIOIDES. CISTU3-1IKE. 



Foliis sex jugatis subtegualibus, Jiore amplo odorato. Browne, p. 22d s . 

 T. l. . ' 

 Leaves eight-paired, leaflets almost equal- 

 Tins has a perennial woody root, from which spring many hairy, jointed, trailing, 

 talks, near two feet long ; at each joint are two pinnate leaves, which differ greatly in 

 size, one being composed of eight, and the other of four, pairs of leaflets* Peduncles 

 xillary, hairy, near two inches long, sustaining one pale yellow flower, composed of 

 ve large petals, with narrow tails, but very broad and rounded at their points ; fruit 

 roundish, armed with very acute spines. Browne supposed this to be the species ter~ 

 restris, but Swartz made it the cistiaides* 



This plant, whether a native, or originally introduced into Jamaica, is now very 

 common about Kingston, and grows .very luxuriantly both in the eastern and western 

 limits of that town. It is planted in many of the gardens for the sake of its flowers, 

 \rhich yield a pleasant agreeable smell. It is a spreading creeper, and runs frequently 

 the length of three or four feet from the main root, throwing out many lateral branches 

 r?n all sides. The fowls are observed to feed much on the blossoms of this plant where 

 it .grows wild, and is thought to heighten the flavour, as well as to contribute to fatten 

 them. Browne. 



This plant grows very commonly all over Salt-Ponds, and is fed upon by all kinds of 

 stock. Its beautiful yellow flowers are highly ornamental to the pastures, and it is re- 

 narkable as the first plant which springs when rain falls after a scries of dry weather. ., 



TjJRK's Heads Sec Melon Thistle: 







} 



TURMERIC. CURCUMA 



Cl. 1, ou. 1. Monandria monogynia. NaT. OR. Scifaminea'. 



(a*EN\ en vR. Calj x a superior obscure perianth ; corolla has the tube of the petal . 

 narrow; border three-parted; divisions lanceolate, spreading, gaping more on 

 one sirjus ; nectary one-leafed, ovate acuminate, larger than the divisions of the 

 petal, inserted into the more open sinus; stamens five filaments, o( which four 

 are erect, linear, barren; one within the nectary, linear, petal-form, with a two- 

 cleft top ; anthers adnate : the pistil has a roundish inferior germ, a style length, 

 of die stamens ; stigma simple, hooked : the pericarp is a roundish capsule, three- 

 celled, three-valved ; seeds very many. Ml the species are natives of the Ejist*< 

 Indies, the most useful has been introduced into Jamaica. 



LONGA. IONS. 



Leaves lanceolate, lateral nerves very numerous. 

 Root perennial, creeping, fleshy, palmate, with columnar branches, andparalle! rooting 



ringi, 



