210 
Gratiolae affinis frutescens americana, foliis Agerati, seu 
Veronicae erectae majoris, Breyn. Prodr. ii. p. 54 (1689); ed. 2. 
p. 69 (1739); Commelin, Hort. i. p. 79, t. 40 (1697); Sloane Nat. 
Hist. Jamaica, i. p. 209 (1707), et lc. ii. p. 373 (1725). 
Lysimachiae purpureae affinis Americana procumbens, Anonidis 
Vernae frutescentis, folio singulari glabro, Pluk. Phytogr. t. 98, 
fig. 4 (1691); Pluk. Alm. p. 237 (1696). 
Thé sauvage, Labat, Voy. i. part 2, p. 340 (1724). 
apraria foliis alternis, corollis quinquefidis, Linn. Hort. 
Cliff. p. 320 (1737), quoad plantam curassavicam. 
VERNACULAR NameEs.—Stow-weed (Bahamas); Goat-weed 
(West Indies); Wild Tea (West Indies); Thé du pays, Thé 
muraille (Martinique, ty pmaaG ; Thé de la Guadeloupe 
(French Guiana); Thé d’Amérique (Santo Domingo); Té del 
é de la tierra (Puerto Rico); Té Nacional (Colombia) ; 
mata (Cuba), Tantsji (Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire) ; Agrimonia 
silvestre, Claudiosa (Yucatan) ; Fregosa (Venezuela); Balsaminha 
(Brazil). 
TROPICAL AND SuBTRopicaL AmeRica.—Recorded from 
Bermuda (naturalized), Florida, Texas, Mexico, Central America, 
West Indies, Colombia, Venezuela, Guiana and Brazil. Apparently 
absent from the Pacific Coast of South America, where the genus 
is represented by C. peruviana. Naturalized in the Cape Verde 
Islands, the Gold Coast and Mauritius. 
An infusion of the leaves of C. biflora has been used as tea 
and as a medicine in the West Indies, Colombia, Venezuela, 
Guiana and Brazil. When taken in moderation it acts as a 
gentle stimulant to the nervous system, and as a digestive tonic, 
but too strong doses produce general debility, loss of memory, 
and even paralysis.* 
It is cultivated under the name Té Nacional in the Department 
of Boyaca, co by Senor Juan T. Torero, from whom a 
sample of “ ” and a set of herbarium specimens have been 
received at Kew. through the instrumentality of Mr. T. M. Dawe. 
The seeds take from three to six months to germinate, according 
to Sefior Torero. 
4. C. integrifolia, Mart. et Gal. in Bull. Acad. Brux. xii. 
pars 2, p. 20 (1845); Walp. Rep. vi. p. 645; Hemsl. Biol. Centr.- 
Amer., Bot. ii. p. 455 (1882). 
Mrxtco.—Cordillera of Oaxaca, Juquila del Sur, on gneiss 
me 1500 m., Galeotti 653 (testibus Mart. et Gal.). 
. frutescens, Britten in Journ. Bot. 1907, p. 315. 
BAoad frutescens, Mill. Gard. Dict. ed. 8, No. 4 (1768). 
Capraria cuneata, R. Br. in Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2, iv. p. 45 
(1812). 
C. saxifragaefolia, Cham. et Schlecht. in Linnaea, v. p. 105 
(1830); Loes. in Bull. Herb. Boiss. 1894, ii. p. 562; Hemsl. 
Biol. Centr. geo Bot. ii. p. 455 (1882); Millsp. in Publ. Field 
Columb. Mus., Bot. i. p. 319 (1896). 
* Grosourdy, Med. Bot. Crioll. iti. p. 167 (1864). 
