636 



MALPIGHIACE^E. I. MALPIGHIA. II. BYRSONIMA. 



Great-leaved Barbadoes Cherry. Shrub 10 feet. 



21 M. DU'BIA (Cav. diss. 8. p. 413. t. 242.) leaves ovate- 

 acute, cartilaginous, entire, smooth ; branches dotted ; racemes 

 axillary, panicled. ^ . S. Native of St. Domingo. Flowers 

 small, yellow. Fruit unknown. It may be a species of Bun- 

 chosia or Sanisteria. The styles are short, not exserted. 



Doubtful Barbadoes Cherry. Fl.Jul.Aug. Clt. 1820. Sh.10 ft. 



22 M. OBOVA'TA (H. B. et Kunth. nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 146.) 

 leaves obovate, acute, cordate, quite entire, coriaceous, shining 

 above, rather hairy beneath ; umbels axillary, twin, 4-flovvered. 

 *2 . S. Native of South America on the banks of the river 

 Magdalena near Nares. There are 5 hypogynous scales seated 

 between the stamens and the ovary. Flowers yellow. This 

 plant may probably form the type of a distinct genus. 



O&oca/e-leaved Barbadoes Cherry. Shrub 10 feet. 



23 M. TERNIFOLIA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 

 146.) leaves 3 in a whorl, oblong-lanceolate, acute, rounded at 

 the base, quite entire, rather hairy above and shining, but 

 clothed with soft down beneath ; umbels axillary, compound, 

 3-4-rayed, many-flowered. J? . S. Native of New Granada 

 near Pandi. Flowers yellow. Fruit unknown. This is pro- 

 bably a species of Vargasia. 



Tern-leaved Barbadoes Cherry. Shrub 12 feet. 



Cult. These trees and shrubs will thrive in any light soil, or 

 a mixture of loam and peat ; and ripened cuttings will root in 

 sand under a hand-glass, in heat. M. coccifera nitida, and aqui- 

 fblia are the most worthy of general cultivation. 



II. BYRSO'NIMA (from byrsa, a hide, and nimius, much 

 used ; because the bark of some of the species is used in tanning 

 in Brazil). Rich, in Juss. ann. mus. 18. p. 481. 



LIN.SYST. Monadelphia, Decandria. Calyx 5-parted, furnished 

 with 8 or 10 large glands on the outside at the base. Petals 

 unguiculate. Stamens 10, connected together at the base, but 

 a very little way. Styles 3. Drupe containing a 3-celled, 3- 

 seeded nucleus. Racemes of flowers spicate and terminal, sim- 

 ple or branched. Flowers yellow, rarely white. 



* Leaves clothed with velvety, down beneath. 



1 B. VERBASCIFOLIA (D. C. prod. 1. p. 579.) leaves lanceo- 

 late-obovate, quite entire, downy on both surfaces ; racemes ter- 

 minal ; trunk thick, knotted, dwarf, tj . S. Native of Guiana 

 by the sea-shore. Malpighia verbascif olia, Aubl. guian. 1 . p. 

 460. t. 184. Cav. diss. 8. p. 411. t. 240. Leaves grey. The 

 hairs on the upper surface of the leaves are fixed by their centre. 

 Flowers yellow. A decoction of the roots and branches is 

 used in Guiana as a detergent in ulcers. This decoction has a 

 red tinge and is vulnerary and astringent. 



Mullein-leaved Byrsonima. Fl. Jul. Aug. Clt. 1810. Sh. 1 ft. 



2 B. LAURifbuA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 147.) 

 leaves ovate-oblong, narrowed towards the top, cuneated at the 

 base, and rather complicated, hairy above, downy beneath and 

 hoary ; branches clothed with downy hairs ; calyx silky-villous. 



Jj . S. Native of Llanos in Cumana. Malpighia laurif olia, 

 Spreng. syst. 2. p. 385. Very like B. verbascifblia. 

 Laurel-leaved Byrsonima. Shrub. 



3 B. NITIDA (Ruiz et Pav. fl. per. vol. icon, under Malpighia,) 

 leaves ovate-oblong ; racemes terminal and axillary, branched, 

 panicled: petals fringed; fruit large, 3-seeded; stigmas 3. 



(3 . S. Native of Peru. 

 Shining-leaved Byrsonima. Shrub 10 feet. 



4 B. ERIO'PODA (D. C. prod. 1. p. 579.) leaves oval, obtuse, 

 tapering to the base, coriaceous, at length shining above, under- 

 neath as well as above hairy on the nerves ; peduncles very 

 hairy. Tj . S. Native of South America. Malpighia rufa 

 Poir. diet. 4. p. 332. 



Hairy-peduncled Byrsonima. Shrub. 



5 B. PHLOMOIDES ; leaves obovate-roundish, with 2 glands at 

 the base of each, scabrous above, and clothed with cinereous 

 down beneath ; racemes compound, axillary. fj . S. Native of 

 Brazil. Malpighia phlomoides, Spreng. syst. 2. p. 385. Flowers 

 yellow. 



Phlomus-like Byrsonima. Shrub. 



6 B. NERVOSA (D. C. prod. 1. p. 579.) leaves oval, blunt at 

 both ends, shining above, wrinkled, but clothed with rufous 

 down beneath, feather-nerved, -with the nerves and nervelets pro- 

 minent ; racemes crowded with flowers and covered with brown 

 down. T; . S. Native of Brazil. Malpighia macrophylla, Juss. 

 in Pers. ench. 1. p. 506. Flowers yellow. 



Nerved-\e&ved Byrsonima. Shrub 8 feet. 



7 B. COTINIFOLIA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 152. 

 t. 447.) leaves obovate, obtuse, tapering to the base, rather 

 membranaceous, younger ones velvety on both surfaces, with 

 rufous down, adult ones smooth above, but rather velvety be- 

 neath ; racemes simple, crowded with flowers, rather velvety ; 

 glands of calyx continuous. tj . S. Native of Mexico about 

 Acapulca. Flowers copper-coloured. 



Cotinus-leaved Byrsonima. Shrub 6-12 feet. 



8 B. FERRUGI'NEA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 151. 

 t. 446.) leaves obovate-roundish, each with a short point, cu- 

 neated at the base, covered with soft pubescence above, but 

 clothed with rusty down beneath, as well as the branches and 

 calyxes ; racemes simple ; calycine glands 1 0, distinct. fj . S. 

 Native about the river Orinoco in woods. Flowers yellow. 



Rusty-leaved Byrsonima. Shrub. 



9 B. ALTI'SSIMA (D. C. prod. 1. p. 579.) leaves ovate-oblong, 

 covered with rufous down beneath but beset with bristles above, 

 which are fixed by their centre ; racemes clothed with rufous 

 hairs. ^ . S. Native of Guiana in woods. Malpighia altis- 

 sima, Aubl. guian. 1. p. 455. t. 181. A tree from 60-80 feet 

 high. Flowers white. Drupe reddish, almost dry. 



Tallest Byrsonima. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1820. Tree 80 ft. 



10 B. CRASSIFOLIA (D. C. prod. 1. p. 579.) leaves ovate, acute 

 at both ends, at length smooth above, but clothed with brownish 

 down beneath ; racemes erect, elongated, brownish-velvety. 

 T? . S. Native of Guiana and Cayenne, and also at Orinoco ? 

 Malpighia crassifolia, Lin. spec. 610. Aubl. guian. 1. p. 457. 

 t. 182. B. crassifolia, H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 

 151.? Flowers yellow. Drupe greenish. The inhabitants of 

 Guiana consider an infusion of the bark a febrifuge, and as stop- 

 ping vomiting. 



Var. J3, Moureila (Aubl. guian. l.p. 459. 1. 183.) leaves acute ; 

 flowers spiked. Tj S. Native of Guiana and Cayenne in 

 woods. Cav. diss. 8. p. 412. t. 241. Flowers yellow. This 

 tree is called Moureila in Guiana. Tree 20 feet. 



Thick-leaved Byrsonima. Fl. Jul. Aug. Clt. 1793. Sh. 6 ft. 



11 B. CHRYSOPHY'LLA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. 

 p. 151.) leaves oblong, short-acuminated, acute at the base, 

 rather wavy on the margin and revolute, smooth above, clothed 

 beneath with silky down, which is of a golden rusty colour ; 

 racemes simple ; calyxes glandless. fj . S. Native of South 

 America at St. Carlos del Rio Negro. Galphimia chrysophylla, 



Spreng. syst. 2. p. 385. Flowers yellow. 



Golden-leaved Byrsonima. Fl. Aug. Clt. 1823. Tr. 14ft.? 



12 B. MONTA'NA (H. B. et Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 151.) 

 leaves elliptical-oblong, acute at both ends, smooth above, pu- 

 bescent beneath ; branches and calyxes covered with rusty 

 down. ; racemes branched. ?? . S. Native of Cumana on Mount 

 Cocollar. Flowers yellow. Fruit unknown. 



Mountain Byrsonima. Tree 20 feet. 



13 B. LANCEOLA'TA (Poir. diet. 4. p. 332.) leaves lanceolate- 

 oblong, at length becoming smooth above, but brownish-velvety 



