CAXELLA ALBA. 47 



violet-coloured flowers grow at the top of the branches in clusters 

 upon divided peduncles : they are small and seldom open ; the 

 calyx of three sepals is permanent ; the 5 petals are coriaceous 

 and deciduous. The berry about the size of a large pea, is fleshy, 

 smooth, blue-black when ripe ; the receptacle is the central angle 

 of the cells. The seeds, generally 2, sometimes 4, immersed in 

 mucilage, are usually globular and beaked, always very smooth, 

 black and shining ; the outer skin is crustaceous, thin and brittle, 

 the inner of a bay-brown colour. 



The whole tree is very aromatic, especially the flowers, which, 

 although they seldom open, perfume the whole neighbourhood ; 

 wdien dried, and softened again in warm water, they have a 

 fragrant odour, nearly approaching to that of musk. Also the 

 leaves are very odorous. Pigeons feed greedily upon the berries, 

 the peculiar aromatic flavour of which is so strong as to be com- 

 municated to the flesh of these birds. The bark of this tree is 

 brought to Europe in the form of long quills, somewhat thicker 

 than cinnamon. The name Canella is derived from this peculiarity 

 of being rolled up like cinnamon, the word canna meaning "a reed." 

 In the Bahama islands, where this bark is known as " White Wood 

 Bark " or " Cinnamon Bark," it is collected by first gently beating 

 the tree with a stick, so as to detach the greater part of the outer 

 cuticle (the epiphlceum), the remaining portions of the bark are then 

 peeled off and dried in the shade. It sometimes happens that a 

 second beating of the tree is necessary to loosen the inner bark. 



As imported, this bark appears in pieces of irregular shape and 

 size, more or less crooked, their leno-th varvincp from 2 inches to a 

 foot or more, and the width from half an inch to one or two inches, 

 channelled, the outer surface yellowish-wdiite, chamois colour, or 

 light brown. On the outer surface (the mesophlceum) there 

 occasionally remains here and there a patch of the epiphlceum, 

 .silver-grey in colour and dotted with minute lichens, and the inner 

 surface, which is of a light cinnamon colour, may be marked with 

 longitudinal fissures, caused by the process of beating. The 

 transverse fracture is short and exhibits the three cortical layers 

 •of which this bark is composed ; of course, where the epiphloeum 

 has been detached, the two under layers only are seen, the upper 

 one containing numerous large, yellow-coloured oil-cells. The 

 microscopic structure is described and illustrated in Fliickiger and 

 Hanbury's Hist, des Drogues, ii., 39. The odour of this bark is 



