66 



8ILYA OF NORTH AMERICA, 



RUTACE-S:, 



Numerous species occur in the West Indies^^ in Mexico and Central Amerieaj^ in Brazil^ wliere 

 nearly fifty species are recognizedj and in the other countries of tropical America. The genus has 

 several representatives in tropical Africa/ in India/ China/ and Japan/ in the Malay Archipelao^o and 

 in Australia^, where three species occur,^ 



The bark of Xanthoxylum^ especially that of the rootSj contains a bitter principle/ which has been 

 found identical with Berberina/** an acrid resin^ and a yellow coloring matter. It is a powerful 

 stimulant and tonic^ sometimes used in the treatment of rheumatism, to excite salivation and to alle- 

 viate toothache- The bark of several "West Indian species Is considered anti-syphilitic. The roots of 

 Xxinthozylum nitidura are deemed sudorific in Chinaj and are thought to furnish a valuable febrifuge 

 The fruit of Xanthoxyhmi elatum is used in India as a condiment^ and the seeds to poison fish • ^^ and 

 the leaves and fruit of this species are used by the Chinese as a stimulant, sudorific, and anthelmintic ■ 

 and silkworms are fed upon the leaves,^^ The capsules of X, piperitum furnish the Japanese pepper 

 of commerce, and are used medicinally in Cliina-^^ The wood of X. hracliyacantlium of Austraha is 

 used in cabinet-making/^ and the wood of some of the West Indian species is considered valuable. 



Xanthoxylum/^ derived from ^avQog and ^vTiov^ aj^pears to have been first used as the name of a 

 plant by Plukenet/^ who applied it to a West Indian tree- The name was afterwards used by Catesby, 

 and adopted by Linnaeus, who credited the genus to Cadwallader Golden " w^ho had published a descrip- 

 tion of the northern Prickly Ash with generic characters,^® 



practiced his profession for a short time iii Pittsburgh, but was forced 

 by ill-health to seek a milder climate* He passed four winters in 

 southern Florida, where he discovered many new species of plants 

 (Eugenia Garberi, Liatris Garberi, Habenana Garberi, etc.), and de- 

 termined the presence in Florida of several West Indian trees- Dr, 

 Garber made a botanical excursion to Porto Rico in 1S80. Garhe- 

 riaoi^ single species — a Florida shrub with Liatris-like flowers — 

 commemorates Dr. Garber's services to American botany. 



^ Grisebacli, FL Brit W, Ind. 136. 



2 Hemsley, BoL Biol Am. Cent. i. 168. 



^ Eichlcr, Martins FL Brasil xii. 2, 151. . 



■* Oliver, FL Trop. Afr. i. 304. — Baker, FL Maur, ^^ SeycL 39. 



^ Hooker f. FL BriL Ind. i. 492. 



* Forbes & Hemsley, Jour. Linn. Soc. zxiii. 105. 



' Franchet & Savatier, Enum. PL Jap. i. 72. 



^ Bentham, FL Austral i. 362, 



^ Xanihopicrite, Chevallier & PcUetan, Ann. Cliem. Pky. ser. 2, 

 xxxiv- 200. 



10 Dyson^Perrins, Pharm. Jour. ser. 2, iv. 403. 



*i Erandis, Forest Flor. Brit Ind. 47, 



12 Smith, Contrib. Mat, Med. China, 234. 



13 Smith, I c. 



1* Maiden, Useful Native Plants of Australia, 615. 



1^ The word was written ZantTioxylum by Plukenet and Linnteus, 

 and many authors have followed this faulty orthography. It was 

 corrected, however, by Miller, whose spelling of the word has been 

 adopted by several prominent botanists, including Asa Gray (Proc, 

 Am. Acad, u- ser. xxiii. 225). 



1^ Aim. Bat 396, t. 239, f. 3. 



IT Cadwallader Colden (16S8-177C) ; a native of Dunse, Scotland, 

 graduated at the medical school of Edinburgh in 1775. Dr. Colden 

 practiced his profession in Pennsj'-lvama from 1708 to 1715, and in 

 1719 received the appointment of surveyor-general of N"ew York, 

 and that of lieutenant-governor of the province in 1761, perform- 

 ing the duties of governor for much of the time until 1775, when 

 he retired to Long Island, where he died in his eighty-ninth year. 

 Dr. Colden was one of the most distinguished of the early cultivat- 

 ors of science in America. He became interested in botany through 

 the publications of Linmeus, with whom, and mth other European 

 men of science, he carried on an active correspondence during many 

 years. His paper on the PlantcE Coldenhamic^, published in the 

 Transactions of the Koyal Society of Science at Upsala, in 1742, is 

 the earliest contribution to a knowledge of the botany of the State 

 of New York. It was considered an extraordinary performance, 

 and received the highest praise from Linnffius and Gronovius. 



^s PL Colden, 107. 



CONSPECTUS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES. 



Inflorescence terminal. 

 Calyx lobes 5, 



Leaves deciduous, stems armed 1_ X- ClavaJIerculls. 



Leaves persistent, stems unarmed , 2 X Cribrosum. 



Calyx lobes 3- 



Leaves evergreen 3_ ^j^-^ emarginatum. 



Inflorescence axillary. 



Mowers complete ^^ p^^^^^_ 



Flowers destitute of calyx 5_ X. Amekicanum. . 



