A M E 



A M E 



The umbeflules have from three to eight flower;, 

 with linear leaflets from two to four, under them. 

 The peduncles an inch long, each sustaining one 

 large yellow flower. The scales of the calyx are 

 lanceolate, membranaceous, and hoary. The 

 hermaphrodite corollets fewer in the disk, fun- 

 nel-shaped, with a reflex border : the females in 

 the ray numerous, linear, blunt, and bifid. The 

 seeds to all the flowers are obconical. The down 

 sessile, simple, and hairy. The receptacle hir- 

 sute, not bristly. It is a native of the island of 

 Jamaica. 



Culture. — These plants may be propagated 

 either by cuttings or seeds, according to the 

 kinds. In the first species it is best effected by 

 cuttings made from the young shoots, which 

 should be planted out in the early summer months 

 on a bed of good earth, or in pots tilled with 

 good fresh mould, the earth being closely pressed 

 round them. In either method a shady situ- 

 ation should be chosen ; and in the former the 

 young plants must be taken up with large balls 

 of earth about their roots, and placed in pots of 

 rather small sizes, in order that they may be 

 more conveniently put in situations to be pro- 

 tected during the winter season. The plants mostly 

 however succeed best when set out at first in 

 pots, especially where proper attention is bestowed 

 in giving them slight waterings occasionally, till 

 they have stricken roots. If placed in a green- 

 house, or common frame, of sufficient height, 

 the plants will be prevented from being drawn up 

 weak ; and have more beauty, especially if plenty 

 of sun be admitted when the weather is mild. 



The second species is best raised by sowing 

 the seeds in the early spring months, on a mo- 

 derate hot-bed, covered two or three inches deep 

 with fine sifted mould. When the plants are 

 become sufficiently strong, they should be taken 

 up and replanted in pots, two or three in each, 

 a very little water applied, and the pots then 

 plunged in a hot-bed of tanner's bark in the 

 stove. In this method ripe seeds may be pro- 

 cured from them in the autumn: but where this 

 mode of culture is not followed, the assistance of 

 a stove in the winter season will be absolutely 

 necessary. 



The fi: st sort may be employed in the garden 

 or pleasure-ground as ornamental plants : and 

 the latter, as being more tender, may serve for 

 variety in the greenhouse or stove. 



AMERICAN EARTHNUT. See Arachis. 



AMERIMNUM, a genus comprehending 

 plants of the exotic perennial shrub, and shrubby 

 tree kinds, which are of tendcrgrowth. 



It belongs to the class and order Diudelphia 

 Decandria, and ranks in the natural order of 

 fapUlonacece or Legum'mosce. 



The characters of which are : that the calyx is 

 a one-l<?afed perianthiuni : the tube bell-3haped, 

 five-toothed, the teeth sharp: the corolla papilio- 

 naceous : standard with an oblong claw, roundish, 

 heart-shaped, expanding, and convex : wings lan- 

 ceolate, shorter than the standard, and the keel 

 short : the stamina have ten filaments, conjoined : 

 antherae roundish : the pistillum has a germ, pe- 

 dicelled, oblong, compressed, leafy, and varicose, 

 with lateral veins, within woody, not gaping : the 

 cellsdisposed longitudinally within: the seeds soli- 

 tary, kidney-shaped, thicker at the base, appen- 

 dicled at the top. 



The species are : 1 . A. Brownei, Browne's 

 Amerimnum ; 3. A. ebenm, Prickly Amerimnum 

 or Jamaica Ebony. 



The first species is a shrub which rises com- 

 monly to the height of ten feet, and supports it- 

 self upon other shrubs. It divides into long, 

 round branches, covered with a blackish bark, 

 subdividing into a great number of alternate 

 twigs. The leaves are quite entire, sharp, and 

 shining, two or three inches in length. The 

 common peduncles sustain about ten flowers ; 

 which are small, white, and have a very sweet 

 scent. They come out in great abundance after 

 the rainy season. The standard of the corolla, 

 after fecundation, becomes erect ; but before that 

 takes place it spreads out wide. It is a native of 

 the West India Islands, ike. 



The second is a shrubby tree with a pretty 

 thick stem, which rises twelve or fourteen feet 

 high, covered with a rugged brown bark, and 

 divides into many spreading branches, which 

 grow almost horizontal ; and are armed with 

 short brown crooked spines. The leaves are 

 small, stiff, and wedge-shaped, coming out in 

 clusters, and sit close to the branches. The 

 flowers come out upon slender foot-stalks from 

 the side of the branches singly, and are of a 

 bright yellow colour, being succeeded by com- 

 pressed moon-shaped pods, which inclose a 

 kidney-shaped seed. 



Culture. — The first of these plants is capable 

 of being raised by cuttings from the young twigs, 

 which should be placed in pots of good mould 

 in the early summer months, being then plunged 

 into a good bark hot-bed, and very slight water- 

 ings occasionally given them. After the plants 

 have taken root, they may be removed into the 

 stove or greenhouse; and be managed in the 

 same manner as is directed for the second 

 kind. 



The second species is best propagated by seeds, 

 which must be procured from the places of 

 its natural growth, as the plants do not produce 

 seeds in this climate. They should be sown in 

 pots filled with light fresh earth, in the early 



