| QUASSIA POLYGAMA. 207 
‘rence, eight feet above the ground. The trunk is ftraight, 
fmooth and tapering, fending off its branches towards the top. 
Tue outfide bark is pretty fmooth, of a light gray or ath 
colour, from various lichens. The bark of the roots is ‘of a 
yellow caft, fomewhat like the Cortex Simaruba. The inner 
bark is tough, and compofed of fine flaxy fibres. 
Tue wood is of a yellow colour, tough, but not very hard. 
It takes a good polifh, and is ufed as flooring. — 
Tue leaves are fub-alternate ; the {mall leaves are in pairs, 
from five to eight, ftanding oppofite to each other on fhort foot- 
ftalks, and ending with an odd one. They are of an oblong 
oval fhape, and pointed ; the ribs reddifh, and the young leaves 
are covered with a fine brownifh down. The flowers come 
out in bunches or clufters from the lower part of the laft 
fhoot before the leaves, and ftand on round foot-ftalks. The 
flowers are fmall, of a yellowith green colour, with a very {mall 
calyx. The male or barren tree has flowers nearly fimilar to 
‘the hermaphrodite, but in it there are only the rudiments of a 
ftyle. 
Tue fruit is a fmooth black drupa, round fhaped, and 
of the fize of a pea. There is but little pulp, and the nut 
covers a round kernel. Thefe drup@ are generally three, fome- 
times two, and often only one, attached fideways to a roundifh 
flefhy receptacle. It flowers in OGtober and November, and its 
_ fruit is ripe in December and January. . 
Except the pulp of the fruit, every other part of this tree 
has an intenfely bitter tafte. From this quality, Sir Josrru 
_ Banks, Dr Sotanper, and Dr WricuT in the paper above 
_ mentioned, gave it the name of Picrania Amara. Mn tafte and 
virtues, it is nearly equal to the Qvaffia of Surinam, and I am 
_ credibly informed, is fold in London for the Quafia Amara, 
and it may be fafely ufed in all cafes where that drug has been 
4 pppoiishe proper, whether as an antifeptic, or in cafes of weak- 
nefs 
