56 ODOROGEAPHIA. 



Pimento berries are globular, from 4 to 6 millimetres in 

 diameter. They are sometimes adulterated with a Mexican spice 

 called "Pimenta de Tabasco," which are larger berries and less 

 aromatic ; these are produced by the Myrtus Tabasco, Mocino et 

 Sesse.* This tree is a native of the hot regions in Mexico ; its 

 leaves are elliptic — lanceolate, acute at the base and obtuse at the 

 apex, full of pellucid dots. It is considered to be a variety of 

 Eugenia Pimenta D.C. (the true pimento). 



Another tree, equally as variable as Eugenia Pimenta, and yield- 

 ing analagous products, is Myrcia Pimentoides D.C, Syn. Myrtus 

 Pimenta latifolia, PLOxb.,f Myrtus citrifolia, Poir,:|: and Eugenia 

 citrifolia of the same author. It is a native of the West India 

 Islands, and now cultivated in the East Indies. It differs from 

 Eugenia Pimenta in the branches being acutely tetragonal. The 

 leaves, berries and flower-buds have a hot taste and fragrant smell 

 like like those of Myrcia acris, from which the West Indian 

 " Bay " leaves have long been considered to be produced. 



NA/est Indian Bay. 



Although the United States Pharmacopoeia names the oil of Bay 

 "Oleum Mycise," and states it to be derived from Myrcia acris D.C, 

 there is some doubt about the accuracy of the statement, the 

 species, varieties and forms of Myrcia and Eugenia being so 

 numerous and so nearly allied that it is probable that the leaves 

 commercially known as " Bay leaves " are gathered from various 

 trees, and no attention is paid by the gatherers to the slight 

 structural differences w^hich distinguish botanically between the 

 various trees. Piecent opinion is in favour of these Bay-leaves 

 being derived from Eugenia acris, Wight and Arnott {Pimenta 

 acris Wight Illust. Indian Bot. ii. p. 16). 



Myrcia acris, D.C (Prodr. iii. 243) figured by Hooker,§ is con- 

 sidered to be identical with Mijrtus acris, Swartz|! ; Myrtus 

 Caryophyllata, Jacq. ; Caryophyllus racemosus, Miller diet. ; M^jrtus 



* " Flora Mexicana" ex Chamisso et Von Schlechtendal in "Linnea," v. p. 

 559. 



t Hort. Beno;., p. 37. 



+ Dict., iv. 410. 



§ Bot. Mag., 2,153. 



II Flor. Inil., Occ. ii. p. 909. 



