206 VEGETATION 



Of the poison-wood, Bichard Ligon in " A True and exact History of the Island 

 of Barbados, 1657 " says : " The poysoned tree, though I cannot commend for 



her vertues, yet for her beauties I can Yet, of this timber we make 



all, or the most part, of the Pots we cure our Sugars in; for, being sawed, 

 and the boards dryed in the Sun, the poyson vapours out." (Jessup Coll.) 



INDIGENOUS MEDICINAL PLANTS. 

 ICHTHYOMETHIA PISCIPULA (L.) Hitch. (DogWOod). 



A small tree with peculiar, winged pods constricted into joints. The 

 narcotic, sedative root and bark are exported from Nassau for medicinal pur- 

 poses. Parts of the tree are used by the natives to stupefy fish. The dog- 

 wood ocurs on Andros, Abaco, Eleuthera and Cat Islands, and in south Flor- 

 ida, the West Indies, Central and South America. (Jessup Coll.) 



PICRAMNTA PENTANDRA Sw. (Snake-root or Bitter-wood). 

 A tree 20 feet high in damp places, but dwarfed and procumbent on bar- 

 ren plains. The root, which is used medicinally as a tonic and febrifuge, is 

 exported -from Nassau. It is found on New Providence and Eleuthera, and 

 in Cuba, Jamaica, Antigua and Guadeloupe. 



CANELLA WINTERANA (L.) Gaertn. (Wild Cinnamon or Bahama White-wood 



Bark) . 



This shrub or small tree furnishes the well-known canella bark or cortex 

 canelli albas, which is used as an aromatic stimulant and tonic. It has a 

 pleasant, cinnamon-like odor and a bitter taste. Shipments of this bark are 

 made from Nassau to New York, but it is not so much used as formerly. 

 Canella is found on New Providence, Andros and Eum Cay; also in the West 

 Indies and Venezuela. (Jessup Coll.) 



CROTON ELUTERIA (L.) Sw. (Cascarilla or Sweet-wood Bark). 

 A shrub or small tree, the bark of which is used as an aromatic tonic. It 

 is obtained principally from Eleuthera, and is shipped to New York from 

 Nassau. It occurs on New Providence and Eleuthera, and in Jamaica and 

 Grand Cayman. 



SlMARUBA GLAUCA Kunth. 



A large and beautiful tree, not before known to occur in the Bahamas. 

 Sargent says that this is one of the handsomest of tropical trees, having bril- 

 liant and ample foliage, and bright-colored fruit. The wood is not useful, 



