NAT. ORDER. 



MenispermacecE 



COCCULUS PALMATUS. CALUMBA ROOT. 



Class XX. DicEciA. Older VI. Hexandria. 



Gen. Cliar. Sepals and petals, arranged in a double series, very 

 rarely in a trijale series. Stamens, six, free, opposite to the 

 petals. Carpels, from three to six. Fruit, drupaceous, reni- 

 form, rather compressed, one-seeded. Cotyledons, distant. 



Spe. Char. Leaves, cordate, five to seven-lobed. Lobes, entire, 

 acuminate, somewhat hairy on both sides. Stem and germen, 

 clothed with glandular hairs. 



This species of Cocculus is a native of the eastern part of 

 Southern Africa; it has been ascertained to grow naturally, and 

 in great abundance, from fifteen to twenty miles inland, in the 

 thick forests about Oibo and Mozambique, on the Zanguebar 

 coast. Formerly, it was erroneously supposed that the plant which 

 produced the calumba-root of commerce, was a native of the 

 island of Ceylon, and that its name was derived from Columbo, the 

 principal town of that island. We are indebted to ]\I. J. F. For- 

 tin, a French gentleman, for the discovery of the true plant, 

 ■which produces this valuable root ; who, when at Mozambique, 

 procured an entire offset, of a larger size than usual, from the 

 main root. This he brought with him to Madras, in 1805, from 

 which a male plant was raised in Dr. Anderson's garden ; and 

 from this individual, Dr. Berry's figure and description were 

 made The female plant had not been described at that period, 

 but it was ascertained to belong to the natural order, Menisperma- 



Vol ii — 82 



