26 FLOKA OF JAMAICA Brya 



united into a sheath, split above, slightly unequal. Ovules 2. 

 Pod divided into 1 or 2 broad flat joints, not splitting open. 



Species 3, one a native of Jamaica and Cuba, another of 

 Hispaniola, and the third of Nicaragua. 



B. Ebenus DC. Prodr. ii. 421 (1825); Macf. Jam. L 301; 

 Bot. Mctff. t. 4670 ; Griseh. Fl. Br. W. Ind. 189. Ebenus jamai- 

 censis Plul:. Phyt. t. 89,/. 1 & Aim. 132. Aspalathus arboreus 

 ifec. Sloane Cat.- HO & Hist. ii. 31, t. 175, f. 1. Brya arborescens 

 ifec. Browne Hist. Jam. 299, t. 31, /. 2. Pterocarpus foliis &c. 

 Plum. PL Amer. (Burm.) 243, /. 246, /. 1. Aspalathus Ebenus 

 L. Sp. PI. ed. 2, 1001,(1763). Spai'tium arborescens Mill. Card. 

 Diet. ed. 8 (1768). Amerimnon Ebenus Siv. Prodr. 104 (1788) 

 & Fl. Ind. Ore. 1235. (Fig. 6.) Type in Herb. Mus. Brit. & in 

 Herb. Linn. 



West Indian Ebony, Cocus Wood. 



Common on the plains and dry hills on the south ; Sloane Heib. vi. 14 ! 

 Catesby in Herb. Sloane clxii. 74 ! Houstoun ! Browne ; Shakspear ! Masson I 

 Macfadyen; McNabl Lane\ Blue Mts., Hitchcock; Porus, Lloyd; Craig 

 Hill ; Hope grounds ; Harris ! Fl. Jam. 8635. — Cuba. 



Shrtib or small tree 15-25 ft. high, with clustered branches which are 

 armed with short sharp foliar prickles subtending a reduced leafy shoot. 

 Leaflets small, elliptical or obovate-elliptical, deciduous in dry weather, 

 7-17 mm. 1. Florvers of a bright yellow or orange colour. Calyx about 

 3 mm. 1. Corolla: standard about; 1 cm. 1., "8 cm. br. ; wings 9 mm. 1. 

 (inch claw), claw 2 mm. 1. Ovary villose. Poi 2-jointed, upper joint 

 small, abortive. 



The heart wood is of rich brown, almost black, colour. It is excessively 

 hard — as hard as ebony or lignum-vitse — and harder than boxwood. The 

 grain is very fine, dense and even. It is particularly adapted for turnery, 

 and is used for flageolets, inlaying, and cabinet making. Weight 77 to 

 87 lbs. per cubic foot 



7. .SSCHYNOMENE L. 



Leaves irritable, imparipinnate but sometimes without the 

 terminal leaflet ; leaflets numerous, small. Stipules lanceolate 

 or ovate. Racemes generally axillary. Bracts usually stipule- 

 like ; bracteoles adpressed to the calyx. Calyx 2-lipped (in 

 Jamaican .species). Standard roundish. Stamens 10, united 

 into a sheath, split on one side (in JK. hiflora), or on both sides 

 (in JB. americana). Pod, joints 2-several, square or semicircular, 

 usually not opening. 



Species about 160, of which 2 (or 3) are widely dispersed 

 in the tropics in Asia and Africa, 1 also in Australia, 1 in 

 S. America and also in Africa and Australia, 1 in N. America 

 and S. Africa, 3 or 4 peculiar to Africa, all the rest American 

 from Patagonia to N. America. 



Stipules continued below the attachment 1. ^. americana. 



Stipules not continued below the attachment... 2. JE. biflora. 



