616 



GUTTIFERjE. II. CLUSIA. 



II. CLU'SIA (in honour of Charles de le Cluse or Clusius, 

 of Artois, an acute botanist, and author of Historia Plantarum 

 and many other works; died in 1609). Lin. gen. no. 1154. 

 Juss. gen. p. 256. D. C. prod. 1. p. 558. Quapoya, Aubl. 

 guian. Xanthe, Willd. 



LIN. SYST. Polygamia, Dioecia. Calyx of 4 imbricate, 

 coloured, permanent sepals, outer ones smallest, usually bibrac- 

 teate at the base. Corolla of 4-6 deciduous petals. Stamens 

 numerous in the male flowers, rarely definite, free, in the female 

 flowers few and sterile, connected at the base. Style wanting. 

 Stigmas 5-12, radiately-peltate, sessile, permanent. Flowers 

 usually polygamous, and in the female flowers the ovary is sur- 

 rounded by a short staminiferous nectary. Capsule fleshy, coria- 

 ceous, 5-12-celled, 5-12-valved, opening from the top to the base, 

 with a dissepiment in the middle of each valve. Placenta thick, 

 triangular, central. Seeds egg-shaped, enwrapped in pulp, sus- 

 pended from the inner angle of the cells. Embryo straight, 

 inverted. Cotyledons separable. Trees and shrubs, usually 

 parasitical, abounding in viscid juice, with large, coriaceous, op- 

 posite leaves, and usually tetragonal stems. The genera Quapoya 

 and Clusia are so similar in habit, the internal fabric of the 

 flowers and fruit are too little known, and the number and form 

 of the stamens of too slight a character to separate them. 



1. Clusia (see Genus}. Stamens numerous. 



1 C. KO'SEA (Lin. spec. 1495.) flowers polygamous; calyx 

 5-6-leaved, rose-coloured ; tops of dense nectaries awl-shaped ; 

 stigmas 8-12, leaves obovate, obtuse, veinless, sometimes emar- 

 ginate, on short, striated petioles. Tj . S. Native of Carolina, 

 St. Domingo, and many other parts of America within the tropics. 

 Jacq. amer. 270. pict. 131. Catesb. car. t. 99. A parasite on 

 rocks and trees. Flowers large, beautiful rose-coloured in the 

 Brazilian plant, according to St. Hilaire the petals are red be- 

 neath the middle, and from the middle to the apex white. Fruit 

 large, opening in 8 parts, containing many scarlet glutinous 

 seeds, like those of the Pomegranate. The resin is used to 

 cure sores in horses, and instead of tallow for boats. 



.Rose-coloured-flowered Balsam-tree. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 

 1692. Shrub 7 to 20 feet. 



2 C. A'LBA (Lin. spec. 1495.) flowers usually hermaphrodite ; 

 calyx many-leaved ; corolla 5-8-petalled, white ; tops of dense 

 nectaries retuse, naked, or with 5-10 short stamens ; stigmas 

 5-6 ; leaves like those of the preceding, but not emarginate. 

 Tj . S. Native of South America. Jacq. |uner. 271. t. 166. 

 pict. 131. t. 250. Plum. gen. 22. icon. 87. f. 1. Flowers 

 large, white, and inelegant. Fruit scarlet, 6-celled, 6-valved ; 

 seeds involved in scarlet pulp ; the birds are very fond of them, 

 and when the capsules burst open, hang over them on the wing, 

 and pluck out the seeds with the pulp adhering. The tree is 

 parasitic, and very common in the woods of Martinico, where it 

 is called Aralie. The Caribbees use the tenacious balsamic 

 juice, which is of a greenish colour, but becoming of a brownish 

 red on being exposed to the air, for painting their boats. 



WAzte-flowered Balsamic-tree. Clt. 1752. Tree 30 feet. 



3 C. FLA VA (Lin. spec. 1495.) flowers polygamous ; calyx 

 many-leaved; corolla 4-petalled, yellow; stamens numerous, 

 short; stigmas about 12; leaves as in both the preceding. 

 *2 . S. Native of Jamaica and many of the other West India 

 islands, on the lower hills, delighting in a dry soil. Jacq. amer. 

 272. t. 167. pict. 132. t. 251. Sloan, jam. 2. p. 91. t. 200. 

 f. 1. Flowers yellow. The resinous juice is sometimes used 

 among the negroes in Jamaica as a vulnerary ; it has no extra- 

 ordinary smell or pungent taste. 



IWfow-flowered Balsam-tree. .Clt. 1759. Tree 15 feet. 



4 C. VENOSA (Lin. spec. 1495.) calyx 4-leaved ; corolla 4- 

 petalled, white ; stamens numerous ; stigmas 5 ; leaves obo- 

 vate, obtuse, veiny, fy . S. Native of Martinico on moist 

 mountains. Plum. amer. t. 87. f. 2. Leaves serrated, of a 

 shining brown beneath. Young branches downy. Flowers in 

 loose spikes at the ends of the shoots. This tree is called in 

 Martinico Palelwoier de montagne. 



Ferny-leaved Balsam-tree. Clt. 1733. Tree 30 feet. 



5 C. PEDICELLA'TA (Forst. fl. aus. no. 390.) calyx 4-lcaved ; 

 corolla 4-petalled, yellow ? leaves obovate-oblong, veiny ; cymes 

 axillary, fy . S. Native of New Caledonia. 



Pedicelled-fiowered Balsam-tree. Fl. Sept. Tree 14 feet. 



6 C. CRIUVA (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 317. t. 65.) leaves 

 stalked, obovate, or obovate -lanceolate, veiny, white beneath; 

 flowers terminal, sub-corymbose, 5-petalled. fj . S. Native of 

 Brazil in the province of St. Paul, where it is called Criuva by 

 the natives. Ovary 5-celled. Stigma 5-lobed. Flowers white. 



Criuva Balsam-tree. Shrub 5*to 6 feet. 



7 C. GAUDICHAU'DI (Chois. mss. St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 317.) 

 leaves stalked, obovate, or subelliptic, nearly veinless; flowers 

 terminal, cymose, 5-petalled. ^ . S. Native of Brazil. Flowers 

 whitish. Stigma 5-lobed. 



GaudicJiaud's Balsam-tree. Shrub 5 to 6 feet. 



8 C. RETU'SA (Poir. diet. 5. p. 183.) calyx of 8 unequal 

 sepals ; corolla 6-petalled ; stigmas very numerous ; capsules 

 globular ; leaves obovate, retuse, veiny. Tj . S. Native of 

 South America. Lam. ill. t. 852. 



Retuse-leaved Balsam-tree. Tree. 



9 C. NEMOROSA (Meyer, prim, esseq. p. 203.) flowers poly- 

 gamous ; calyx 6-8-leaved ; corolla 4-petalled, white, but purple 

 within ; sterile stamens awl-shaped, intermixed with others ; 

 stigmas 5 ; leaves oblong-obovate, acute, approximate, veiny. 



Tj. S. Native of Essequebo in the island Wacanama. Flowers 

 white, purple within t 



Grove Balsam- tree. Tree 20 feet. 



10 C. PARVIFLORA (H. B. in Willd. spec. 4. p. 976.) corolla 

 white, 5-petalled, about equal in length with the calyx ; leaves 

 obovate, obtuse, veinless. Tj . S. Native of South America in 

 the island of Margarita. This species is much smaller than 

 C. alba in every part. 



Small-lowered Balsam-tree. Tree 20 feet. 



11 C. ELLI'PTICA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 199.) 

 flowers white ; calyx 4-sepalled ; stigmas 6 ; leaves sessile, 

 elliptical, rounded at both ends ; peduncles 2-3-flowered. tj . S. 

 Native of Peru on the Andes, near Loxa. Flowers white. 



Elliptical-leaved Balsam-tree. Tree 12 to 24 feet. 



12 C. LANCEOLA'TA (St. Hil. fl.bras. 1. p. 3 18.) leaves stalked, 

 lanceolate, veiny ; flowers terminal, sub-corymbose, 6-8-pe- 

 talled. t? . S. Native of Brazil near Rio Janeiro. Petals 

 white ? veiny. 



Lanceolate- leaved Clusia. Shrub 6 to 7 feet. 



13 C. MULTIFLORA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 

 200.) calyx 4-sepalled ; corolla 5-petalled, a little longer than 

 the calyx ; stigmas 5 ; leaves sessile, obovate, rounded at the 

 apex ; peduncles many-flowered. Tj . S. Native on the Andes 

 about Quindiu. Flowers white ? 



Many-flowered Balsam-tree. Tree. 



14 C. VOLU^BILIS (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 200.) 

 stigmas 6 ; stem twining ; leaves stalked, elliptical, blunt at 

 both ends, thick, coriaceous. T? . <">. S. Native, growing along 

 with the preceding species. Flowers white ? 



Twining Balsam-tree. Shrub tw. 



15 C. SE'SSILIS (Forst. prod. 391.) flowers axillary, solitary, 

 almost sessile, 4-petalled ; leaves obovate and elliptical, fj . S. 

 Native of the island of Togatabu in the South Seas. 



Sessile-fioviered Balsam-tree. Tree. 



