G U A 



G U I 



GROUNDSEL-TREE. See Baccharis, 



GUAIACUM, a genus comprising plants of 

 the exotic tree kind. 



Il belongs to the class and order Decaiidria 

 Monn^yn'ia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Gruhiales. 



'I'he characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 Itaved pcriaiuhium : leaflets ovate-obion<r, con- 

 cave, obtuse, spreading, deciduous : the two 

 outer ones a little smaller : the corolla has five 

 petals, roundish -obovate, obtuse, concave, 

 spreading, longer than the calyx, ending in 

 short claws, inserted into the receptacle : the 

 stamina have subulate lilaments, broader at the 

 base, upright, shorttr than the corolla, inserted 

 into the receptacle : anthers oblong, (inallv re- 

 curved : the pistilluni is a ffcrm, broader above, 

 angular, pedicclled : style short, subulate : 

 stigma simple, acute : the pcricarpium has from 

 two to five capsules (five-celled), on very short 

 petiicels, compressed, membranaceous, covered 

 wiilt a pulpy rind, gibbous on the outside, united 

 on the inside, separating when ripe, gaping : 

 the seeds solitary, bony, and oblong. 



The species cultivated are : \. G. offic'male, 

 Otlicinal Guaiacum, or Lignum VitE; 2. G. 

 sanctum, St. .Tuan American Lignum VitK j 

 3. G. ylj'rum, African Acute-leaved Guaia- 

 cum. 



The first, in its native situation, becomes a 

 very large tree, covered with a hard, brittle, 

 brow nish bark, not very thick ; the wood is 

 firm, solid, and ponderous, appearing very re- 

 sinous, of a blackish yellow colour within, and 

 of a hot aromatic taste : the smaller branches 

 have an ash-coloured bark. Browne describes 

 it as an evergreen, of a dark gloomy cast, con- 

 tinuing its verdure in the driest seasons, and at 

 times throwing out a great number of blue 

 flowers, which are succeeded by compressed 

 berries of a roundish form. It takes manv 

 years to arrive at its full grow th. 



It is the tree that affords the gum guaiacum, 

 which is obtained by jaggini: the body of the 

 tree in May. It exsudes copiously from the 

 wounds, though graduallv ; and wlitn a quan- 

 tity is found accumulated, hardened bv exposure 

 to the air and sun, it is gathered, and packed in 

 small kegs. It is a nalTve of the West In- 

 dies. 



In the second species there are many leaflets 

 placed along the midrib by pairs ; thev are 

 rounded and obtuse at their ends, but narrow at 

 their base, of the same consistence with those 

 ot the first sort, but of a darker green colour. 

 The flowers are produced in loose bunches to- 

 wards the ends of the branches, of a fine blue 

 colour, and the petals fringed ou their edges. 



It is sometimes called in the West Indies Das- 

 tard Lignum \'ita;. 



The third has rigid branches : the leaves arc 

 alternate, with ci^dit pairs of leaflels : common 

 petiole edged, jointed, channelled; leaflets 

 ovate-oblong, oppos'itc, quite entire, mucro- 

 nate, smooth, stiflish, perennial, very sliehtlv 

 shortened at the inner base : the stipules pressed 

 close to the branches, subulate, very small. It 

 IS a native of the Cape. 



Ciiliiire. — ^These plants are capable of being 

 increased by sowing the seeds obtained from 

 their native situations, in pots filled with li-lu 

 earth, plunging them in the hot-bed. \Vhen 

 the plants have acquired some growth, tlicv 

 should be carefully removed into other pots, and 

 be well shaded till they have taken fresh root ; 

 vvhen they should have a large portion of free 

 air admitted, and be frequently watered when 

 the season is hot and dry, but little in the win- 

 ter. They must constantly iu the winter have 

 the protection of the hot-house, thouah the 

 third sort will often succeed in a good%een- 

 house. ^ ° 



They are propagated with difficulty by layers. 

 They aflTord variety in collections of the stove 

 and green-house kinds. 



GUILANDINA, a genus containing plants 

 of the tree and shrubby exotic kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Decaiidria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Lomentacece. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianthium (urceolateorpitcher-shaped) : 

 tube short, turbinate, permanent, with an ob- 

 lique mouth : border five-parted, nearly equal, 

 spreading, deciduous : divisions oblon"-, broader 

 on the outside, and rounded : the two upper 

 ones a little shorter, the lowest a little longer : 

 the corolla has five petals, inserted into theiTeck 

 of the calyx : the uppermost roundish, con- 

 cave, ascending, a little shorter; the rest ob- 

 long, broader in front, rounded at the tip, re- 

 flex-spreading, longer th.in the calyx, and the 

 two lowest a little longer than the middle ones : 

 the stamina have subulate filaments, tiiickcr at 

 the base, and villose, decumbent, inserted into 

 the neck of the calyx, shorter than the corolla, 

 unequal: the lower ones gradually longer : an- 

 thers oblong, affixed to the back :' the pistilltim 

 is an oblong germ : style filiform, length of the 

 stamens; stigma simple : the pcricarpium is a 

 rhomboidal legume, the upper suture convex, 

 from swelling compressed, one-celled, with 

 tr.insverse partitions : the seeds bony, globular- 

 compressed, solitary between the partitions. 



The =pecies cultivated are : i . G. BonJuc, 

 Yellow Jionduc, or Nicker-trce; 2. G. Buttdu- 



