LEGUMINOSili;. 325 



obtuse, wedge-shaped at the base, minutely puberulous above, 

 glabrous beneath, obscurely nerved, about an inch in length : 

 common petiole terete, jointed at the insertion of" the pinna;, 

 curved between the joints, coloured, incano-puberulous : pe- 

 tioles of the pinnae thickened towards the base : petioles of the 

 pinnules angulose. A filiform puberulous glandule between 

 each pair of piniise, pinnules, and leaflets. A glandular slit on 

 each side of the insertion of the con»mon petiole, occupying the 

 place of stipules. Raceme panicled, axillary, shorter than the 

 leaf, solitary : peduncle elongated, subterete, incano-puberulous : 

 divisions alternate. Flowers pedicelled, 3-4 together, furnish- 

 ed at their insertion with linear bracteas. Sepals 3, subequal, 

 oblong, reflected, white tinged with crimson, minutely tomen- 

 tuloso-puberulous. Petals 3, one of them erect, the others 

 subreflected ; spathulato-oblong, white with a yellow tinge, 

 stained with crimson externally near the base. Stamens un- 

 equal in length ; 5 of them sterile ; filaments subulate, villous 

 externally at the base: anthers yellow. Ovary pedicelled, 

 oblong, y-quetrous, incano-pubescent : style filiform: stigma 

 simple. Legume seldom more than a foot in length, 3-quetrous, 

 3-valved : seeds 15-16. 



This tree is a native of the East Indies, and was introduced 



into this Island in the year 1784 by East, Esq. It has 



since that been very generally cultivated, and is now to be met 

 with every where. It grows readily from cuttings, so that a 

 stake driven into the ground immediately takes root. It is a 

 very ornamental, and also very useful tree. All parts of the 

 plant are acrid to the taste. Tiie root vesicates, and may be 

 applied pounded as a rubefacient : it has the taste, and forms a 

 very excellent substitute for Horse-radish. Sheep and hogs 

 are very fond of the young branches and leaves ; and a fine blue 

 dye may be obtained from the wood, it has long been sup- 

 posed, that it was from the seeds of this species, that the valua- 

 ble oil, known by the name of the oil of Ben or J3elm, was pro- 

 cured. It appears, however, that it is obtained from a different 

 species, Mokinoa aptera, DC, which has not yet been in- 

 troduced into this Island. It is a native of the East-Indies, and 

 distinguished by the seeds being triquetrous and not winged. 

 (Ga;rtn. Fruct. II. 315.) A very excellent palatable oil, how- 

 ever, may be procured, by expression, from the seeds of the 

 plant before us. 



XLIII. GuiLANDINA. 



Calycine sepals 5, nearly equal, united at the base 

 into a short urceolate tube. Petals 5, sessile, sub- 

 equal. Stamens 10, with the filaments villous at the 

 base. Style short. Legume ovate, ventricoso-com- 

 pressed, externally echinated, 2-valved, 1-3-seeded : 



