CISSAMPELOS PAREIRA. 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
Paretra Brava is a native of South America and the West 
India Islands. It is well known in J. amaica, where it grows in 
abundance in the mountainous districts, by the name of Velvet- 
leaf. It is also spoken of by Ainslie as a native of the East 
Indies, but it appears that the plant to which he refers is Cis- 
sampelos mauritiana, which is closely allied, both in botanical 
characters and in medicinal qualities to the plant under consider- 
ation, ‘This plant was first made known by Marcgraf and Piso 
in 1648, who met with it in Brazil. The name given by them 
for the root is Caapeba. In 1688, it was sent to Paris by M. 
Amelot, the French Ambassador at Portugal. Some difference 
of opinion exists with regard to the species or varieties affording 
Pareira root. Linnceus made two species of the plant, founded 
upon the characters of the leaf. I. Cissampelos Pareira with 
petioles one to two inches long, villoas, cylindrical, with a re- 
markable curveture at bottom, inserted in many individuals 
into the leaves at a small distance from the base, so as to make 
them appear peltate or obicular. II. Cissampelos Cuapeba with 
petioles inserted into the lower edge directly. Poiret by close 
examination, united them. According to Merat and De Lens, 
some other species, regarded as distinct, may be merged in it as 
varieties. The East India species may be different. Caapeba is 
the name which the root bears in South America, 
The Ice-vine, is a climbing shrub, attaining a great size and 
covering even the tallest trees with its foliage. The root is — 
woody and branching. The stem is round, smooth, or with a 
closely appressed tomentum. The leaves are large, peltate, 
subcordate, ovate, articulate, of a dark green, and smooth above 
and silky pubescent beneath. The flowers are unisexual ; the 
males, with four sepals and four petals, forming a SENS 
corolla, with an entire margin. The se ais . bear- 
ing connate anthers opening horizontally. T re aE — 
have but a single sepal and petal. The ovary ce Pere ce 4 
mounted with three stigmas. The fruit is a round or reniform 
hispid scarlet berry. | | 
CHEMICAL AND MEDICAL PROPERTIES AND USES. 
medical practice by the Portu- — 
Parma was introduced into ployed in diseases of the 
guese, and at one time was much em 
