/^ 



o 



BATSCHIA. 199 



that the blossoms are made into fragrant conserves in 

 the North. 



AZEDARACA AMENA. Tt 1700. (Melia azedarac. 

 L.) Bead tree^ Hoop tree, Pride tree. The old good 

 name of Tournefort, Adanson, Jussien, &c. is much bet- 

 ter than Melia of L. being part of Bromelia and Melian- 

 thus. Native of Arkansas and Texas. Cultivated from 

 Carolina to Louisiana, often called there Pride of China, 

 Valuable, elegant and medical tree, growing any where 

 from America to Japan, improving sandy soils, bearing 

 transplantation and lopping at any age. Good coarse 

 wood, fine fuel } cattle eat the leaves, hogs and birds 

 the berries. Inner white bark of the roots excellent ver- 

 mifuge, dose 20 grains in powder or a decoction ; but 

 the outer bark is deleterious, purgative, narcotic, and 

 must not be used : in Carolina, they boil the whole root 

 and it thus becomes a violent remedy, causing vomiting 

 and purging, stupor and spasms, like over doses of Spi- 

 gelia, A cathartic is useful after it to carry oiF the 

 worms. The berries are also vermifuge, children may 

 be allowed to eat them : they contain a concrete oil, 

 useful for burning, employed in Japan ; it is extracted 

 by coction, candles may be made of it; useful ia tinea 

 capitis, in the form of an ointment. The ample leaves 

 are bitterish, nauseous, stomachic, discutient and emol- 

 lient, used in the East and West Indies in decoction, 

 for malignant fevers, and in cataplasms for bites of 

 snakes. The blossom^ are fragrant and medical like 

 the leaves. 



BACCHARIS HALIMIFOLIA, L. Groundsel tree. 

 Pencil tree. Sea shoi-e, from Long Island to Florida. 

 Ornamental when in seed. Peculiar seent like Conyza 

 and Jacobea^ indicating medical properties. 



BAMBUSA ARUNDINACEA, J. Bambu Cane, In 



Florida, below lat. 28. Very useful for rods, props, light 

 carpentry, vessels, and other domestic uses. The young 

 shoots are edible, boiled or pickled. 



BATSCOIA, Mx. Puccoon^ Red paint, Alcanet. Se- 

 veral species. One of them must be i\i€ Anchusa virgin 

 niana of L. and Schoepf. Red root, used as a die and 

 paint by the Indians, also as a vermifuge- Perhaps equi- 



