MEDICINAL PLANTS OF JAMAICA. ^27 



Every other part of the tree is useful in different part- of 

 rural economy. 



(Towards the base of the trunk, its diameter is about ten 

 inches. It tapers to the height of ten or fifteen feet, where 

 it sends off' leaves. The young leaves are rolled up in a cu- 

 rious cylindrical manner. They are very soft, and seem to 

 be intended by nature as a cooling dressing in scalds, and af- 

 ter blisters. The tree is truly foliaceous. On pulling a leaf, 

 you may strip the tree from top to bottom. The blossoms 

 are in rows, covered by a thick purple spatha. Jtipe plan- 

 tains sliced and fried, resemble pancakes. 



On stripping the shreds of plantain-bark, we get a fine fila- 

 mentous substance like silk, which has been found to be ca- 

 pable of being wrought into various stuff's. On cutting the 

 pith, a portion of this cotton adheres to the knife.) 



70. Myrtus Pimknto. — Allspice, Jamaica Pepper, or Pimento 



Tree. 



This is a native of Jamaica, and grows in all the wood- 

 lands on the north side. 



Pimento-walks are upon a large scale, since they contain 

 at times some hundred acres of ground. This is one of the 

 staple articles of Jamaica. 



This tree has bay-leaves ; the flower resembles that of the 

 elder. The fruit is a black berry, as big as a black currant 

 when ripe, and contains two grey smooth seeds. 



As soon as the berries are of the proper size, and just before 

 they begin to be ripe, a number of hands are employed to 

 gather them. They are then dried on platforms or sheets, 

 and afterwards put up in bags of one hundred weight, for the 

 European market. 



Pimento possesses the flavour and qualities of all the eastern 



P 2 



