3526 



XYLOPIA 



with 3 valvate sepals connate for some distance from 

 the base; outer petals elongate, thick, valvate, and 

 connivent, or scarcely opening, and triquetrous above, 

 inclosing the 3 inner linear petals, which are concave 

 at the base; after anthesis the receptacle undergoes a 

 transformation, its center becomes depressed so as to 

 form a cone-like sac, while its margin grows in such a 

 way as to form a dome with an orifice at its apex; 

 through this orifice protrude the styles, while the 

 ovaries occupy the cavity, and the surface of the dome 

 in most species is covered with the crowded stamens, 

 the expanded connectives of which form a sort of tile- 

 like covering to the pollen-sacs; carpels vary in num- 

 ber and the ovaries have a ventral placenta bearing an 

 indefinite number of ovules primitively arranged in 2 

 vertical rows: fr. consists of clusters of berries either 

 sessile or shortly stipitate, more or less elongate, often 

 constricted between the seeds, which have a ruminate 

 endosperm, like other members of the Annonacese, and 

 in many cases there is an aril on both sides of the ter- 

 minal umbilicus. In the African species, sometimes 

 separated as a distinct genus under-the name Habzelia, 

 instead of a central cavity there is only a slight depres- 

 sion at the summit of the torus or even none at all. In 

 the genus Pseudannona, treated by Baillon as a sec- 

 tion of Xylopia, but given generic rank by the writer 

 (see Journ. Wash. Acad. Sci. 3:16. 1913), both the 

 corolla and the fr. differ radically from those of Xylopia. 

 The inner petals form a diminutive acute triquetrous 

 corolla over the essential parts, and the outer ones, 

 much broader and longer, recall by their form and the 

 thickness of their margin the fls. of certain species of 

 Annona, while their few-seeded frs. are thick and 

 fleshy, when mature suggesting the frs. of our common 

 Asimina triloba. It is intended here to describe only 

 the species of economic importance. 



Xylopia aethiopica, X. Eminii, X. aromatica, X. 

 carminativa, X. frutescens, and X. grandiflora are 

 worthy of cultivation for the sake of their spicy fruits; 

 while X. parvifolia and X. nigricans of Ceylon are 

 desirable for the exquisite perfume of their flowers, 

 which like those of the ilang-ilang (Canangium odora- 

 tum) might be utilized as a source of an essential oil for 

 use in perfumery. Propagation is possible either by 

 seeds or by grafting and budding, as in the case of 

 other Annonacea?. Seeds should be sown as soon as 

 ripe in shaded beds and the small seedlings should be 

 transferred to pots and kept until ready for planting 

 out, preferably in good, well-drained soil in sheltered 

 situations. 



sethiopica, 9. 

 aromatica, 6. 

 carminativa, 2. 

 Championii, 8. 

 cubensis, 1. 

 discreta, 5. 



Eminii, 9. 

 frutescens, 3. 

 glabra, 4. 

 grandiflora, 1. 

 jamaicensis, 4. 

 longi folia, 1. 



muricata, 4. 

 nw.nniamensis, 9. 

 nigricans, 8. 

 obtusifqlia, 7. 

 parvifolia, 8. 

 sericea, 2. 



A. American species (Nos. 1-7). 



B. Lvs. acute or acuminate. 



1. grandiflora, Aubl. (X. cubensis, A. Rich. X. 

 longifolia, A. DC.). MALAGUETO MACHO. MALA- 



GUNTO GRANDE. ZEMBE\ FRUTA DEL BuRRO. AcHON. 



Fig. 4018. Tree with younger branches rufous-tomen- 

 tose near extremities: Ivs. approximate, distichous, 

 elliptical-lanceolate or oblong, acute at the apex, 

 usually obtuse at the base, puberulous above, tomen- 

 tose and rufescent beneath, the blade 4 in. or more in 

 length, the petiole about J/in. long, grooved above, 

 tomentose and rufous: peduncles axillary, very short, 

 2-fld.; pedicels incurved, bracteate, villous, ferrugin- 

 eous: fls. often 2 in. long; calyx short, cup-shaped, 

 shortly 3-parted; petals erect, the outer ones linear, 

 acutish, concave at the base, silky near the base, sub- 

 tpmentose above; the inner ones shorter and narrower, 

 linear and triquetrous, acute, expanded and shell- 

 like at the concave base, so as to cover the essential 



XYLOPIA 



parts; receptacle hollowed in the center, forming a 

 cavity in which the ovaries are included, the styles 

 protruding beyond its opening. A wide geographical 

 range, which has undoubtedly been extended through 

 human agency. It is spread in S. Amer. from Brazil to 

 Panama and also occurs in Cuba, where it is known as 

 Malagueta brava, or "wild melegueta," and Guacima 

 Maria, or St. Mary's guacima." Varies considerably 

 in the size and pubescence of its Ivs. According to 

 Baillon the frs. of this species, together with those of 

 X. frutescens and X. sericea (X. carminativa), are 

 offered for sale in the pharmacies of Brazil. They 

 contain large cells filled with a volatile aromatic oil, 

 having a pepper-like flavor, but more agreeable and 

 delicate than pepper. Martius regards these frs. as 

 worthy of intro. into the pharmacopoeia, on account 

 of their tonic and carminative properties. 



2. carminativa, R. E. Fries. (Unona carminativa, 

 Aruda da Camara. X. sericea, St. Hil.). PAO D' EM- 



BIRA. PlNDAIBA. PlMENTA DE MACACO. A tree closely 



allied to X. grandiflora, but with the Ivs. narrower 

 in comparison with their length, and with the apex 

 more attenuate and the base more acute, but the 

 latter varies and is sometimes rounded; If .-blade 

 clothed with appressed silky hairs longer than those 

 of X. grandiflora, and usually smaller than the latter, 

 but also varies in size: fls. much smaller than those of 

 X. grandiflora, scarcely exceeding J^in. in length, and 

 serving at once to distinguish the two species: frs. 

 either rounded at the tip or pointed, shorter than those 

 of X. grandiflora, and usually containing 3 or 4 seeds, 

 but sometimes only 1 or 2, in the latter case they 

 resemble the frs. of X. frutescens, from which, however, 

 they may be distinguished, when dry, by their black 

 color and rough surface. Ranges from Minas Geraes 

 in Brazil to British Guiana. The seeds are commonly 

 found in apothecary shops in Brazil, where they are 

 sold as carminatives. According to St. Hilaire the 

 bark is stringy and tenacious and is excellent for cord- 

 age, especially for boat-cables. The frs. have the odor 

 and taste of pepper and are used as a condiment, but 

 are not so pungent as pepper. Specimens were pur- 

 chased at Januaria, state of Minas Geraes by Messrs. 

 Popenoe, Shamel, and Dorsett, of the U. S. Dept. of 

 Agric. during their recent mission to Brazil. 



3. frutescens, Aubl. MALAGUETA HEMBRA. MALA- 

 GTJNTO CHICO. CouGNERECou (Carib name). JEJERE- 

 cou (Cayenne). EMBIRA. PINDAIBA (Brazil). Fig. 4018. 

 A shrub or small tree with distichous branches; new 

 branchlets pilose, reddish: Ivs. oblong-lanceolate, acumi- 

 nate at the apex, with the tip of the acumen obtuse or 

 rounded, and the margins revolute, above glabrous, 

 beneath silky with white, appressed, sericeous hairs: 

 peduncles pilose, very short, bracteolate, solitary, or 

 in 2's or 3's, growing from the axils of the Ivs.: calyx 

 pilose, with the divisions ovate acute; petals oblong, 

 never opening widely, sericeous on the outside: frs. 

 glabrous, aromatic. Endemic in Brazil, Venezuela, 

 Guiana, Colombia, and Panama. Collected at Gatun 

 by Hayes, who states that "the negroes of the Isth- 

 mus use the red berries of this small tree as a sub- 

 stitute for pepper and the bark for making ropes." 

 Specimens in the National Herbarium were recently 

 collected by Henry Pittier in the Canal Zone, and 

 bear the common name "malagueta hembra," to dis- 

 tinguish them from the fr. of the "malagueto macho." 

 The name malagueta, sometimes modified to mala- 

 gunta, undoubtedly comes from Afr., where it is 

 applied to the so-called "grains of paradise" (Amomum 

 Melegueta, Roscoe), a famous spice of the west coast 

 of Afr. 



4. muricata, Linn. (X. jamaicensis, Griseb.). 

 SMALLER BITTER-WOOD. Fig. 4018. A shrub with ovate 

 or lanceolate, long-acuminate Ivs., with the slender 

 acumen often obtuse at the tip, clothed beneath with 



