8oS JAMAICA. 



blown, and four interior, and dl- 

 ^ vided, the capfule green. 



Seed. Seed. 



The pericarpium oblong, cylin- The per!carp/um,'n-\{ormo( three 

 drical, four-cornered, very fmall, globular bodies united, has three 

 when dry is of a light-brown co- cells, and three feeds, lodged fingle, 

 lour, contains a number of fmall iglobous, angulate on the interior 

 brown feeds. [fide, of a reddifh-brown colour. 



The difference between thefe two plants is obvious, more parti- 

 cularly in the flowers, feed veflels, and feeds, even from this gene- 

 ral defcription of each ; and the diftinclions w^ould probably mul- 

 tiply, on comparing the fexual parts of their flowers. Barham him- 

 felf was fatisfied they were not the fame, but he feemed to think 

 the capraria a fynonym : for he adds his opinion, that it may pof- 

 fibly have the fame virtue, and mentions a gentleman of his ac- 

 quaintance, who never drank any other than the Weft Indian tea ; 

 and that, although he could not coil up the leaves fo dextroufly as 

 they do in China, yet he performed this operation tolerably well ; 

 and every perfon, whom he regaled with it, extolled it as the very 

 beft green tea they ever drank in their lives. 



It is certainly unknov.-n to what perfedion it might be brought, 

 if reclaimed from its wild ftate, and cultivated in the rich foil of 

 gardens ; and it well deferves the experiment of the curious. 



The decoclion of the leaves, is recommended as an excellent 

 febrifuge. 



1 68. Avocado Pear. — Perfea. 



This tree grows to the fize of the largeft European apple tree. 

 The pulp of the fruit is in univerfal efteem in the ifland ; and dif- 

 tinguiftied by fbme with the name of vegetable marrow, it is gene- 

 rally eaten with fugar and limejuice, or pepper and fait; it has a de- 

 licate rich flavour, and is extremely nourishing. There are two 

 fpecies of the fruit, the green, and the red ; the latter is preferred, 

 having a firmer, better-tafted flefh than the other ; but I have ob- 

 ferved that the goodnefs of both depends entirely upon the place 

 of growth ; for the fruit produced in a wild ftate ii fmall, and often 



bitter ; 



