G U A 



G U I 



GROUNDSEL-TREE. See Baccharis. 



GUAIACUM, a genus comprising plants of 

 the exotic tree kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Decandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Gruhiales. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a five- 

 leaved perianthium : leaflets ovate-oblong, con- 

 cave, obtuse, spreading, deciduous : the two 

 outer ones a little smaller : the corolla has five 

 petals, roundish- obovate, obtuse, concave, 

 spreading, longer than the calyx, ending in 

 short claws, inserted into the receptacle : the 

 stamina have subulate filaments, broader at the 

 base, upright, shorter than the corolla, inserted 

 into the receptacle : anthers oblong, finally re- 

 curved : the pistillum is a germ, broader above, 

 angular, pedicelled : style short, subulate: 

 stigma simple, acute: the pericarpium has from 

 two to five capsules (five-celled), on very short 

 pedicels, compressed, membranaceous, covered 

 with a pulpy rind, gibbous on the outside, united 

 on the inside, separating when ripe, gaping : 

 the seeds solitary, bony, and oblong. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . G. officinale;, 

 Officinal Guaiacum, or Lignum Vitse; 2. G. 

 sanctum, St. Juan American Lignum Vitse ; 

 3. G. Ajrum, African Acute-leaved Guaia- 

 cum. 



The first, in its native situation, becomes a 

 very large tree, covered with a hard, brittle, 

 brownish bark, not very thick : the wood is 

 firm, solid, and ponderous, appearing very re- 

 sinous, of a blackish yellow colour within, and 

 of a hot aromatic taste : the smaller branches 

 have an ash-coloured bark. Browne describes 

 it as an evergreen, of a dark gloomy cast, con- 

 tinuing its verdure in the driest seasons, and at 

 times throwing out a great number of blue 

 flowers, which are succeeded by compressed 

 berries of a roundish form. It takes many 

 years to arrive at its full growth. 



It is the tree that affords the gum guaiacum, 

 which is obtained by jagging the body of the 

 tree in May. It exsudes' copiously from the 

 wounds, though gradually ; and when a quan- 

 tity is found accumulated, hardened by exposure 

 to the air and sun, it is gathered, and packed in 

 small kegs. It is a native of the West In- 

 dies. 



In the second species there are many leaflets 

 placed along the midrib by pairs ; they are 

 rounded and obtuse at their ends, but narrow at 

 their base, of the same consistence with those 

 of the first sort, but of a darker green colour. 

 The flowers are produced in loose bunches to- 

 wards the ends of the branches, of a fine blue 

 colour, and the petals fringed on their edges. 



It is sometimes called in the West Indies Bas- 

 tard Lignum Vitae. 



The third has rigid branches : the leaves are 

 alternate, with eight pairs of leaflets : common, 

 petiole edged, jointed, channelled; leaflets 

 ovate-oblong, opposite, quite entire, mucro- 

 nate, smooth, stiffish, perennial, very slightly- 

 shortened at the iimerbase : the stipules pressed 

 close to the branches, subulate, very small. It 

 is a native of the Cape. 



Culture. — These plants are capable of beino- 

 increased by sowing the seeds obtained from 

 their native situations, in pots filled with light 

 earth, plunging them in the hot-bed. When 

 the plants have acquired some growth, they 

 should be carefully removed into other pots, and 

 be well shaded till they have taken fresh root ; 

 when they should have a large portion of free 

 air admitted, and be frequently watered when 

 the season is hot and dry, but little in the win- 

 ter. They must constantly in the winter have 

 the protection of the hot-house, though the 

 third sort will often succeed in a good green- 

 house. 



They are propagated with difficulty by layers. 



They afford variety in collections of the stove 

 and green-house kinds. 



GUILANDINA, a genus containing plants 

 of the tree and shrubby exotic kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Decandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of " 

 Lomtntacece. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed perianthium (urceolate or pitcher-shaped) : 

 tube short, turbinate, permanent, with an ob- 

 lique mouth : border five-parted, nearly equal, 

 spreading, deciduous : divisions oblong, broader 

 on the outside, and rounded : the two upper 

 ones a little shorter, the lowest a little longer : 

 the corolla has five petals, inserted into the neck 

 of the calyx : the uppermost roundish, con- 

 cave, ascending, a little shorter; the rest ob- 

 long, broader in front, rounded at the tip, re- 

 flex-spreading, longer than the calyx, and the 

 two lowest a little longer than the middle ones : 

 the stamina have subulate filaments, thicker at 

 the base, and villose, decumbent, inserted into 

 the neck of the calyx, shorter than the corolla, 

 unequal; the lower ones gradually longer : an- 

 thers oblong, affixed to the back : the pistillum 

 is an oblong germ : style filiform, length of the 

 stamens ; stigma simple : the pericarpium is a 

 rhomboidal legume, the upper suture convex, 

 from swelling compressed, one-celled, with 

 transverse partitions : the seeds bony, globular- 

 compressed, solitary between the partitions. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . G. Bonduc, 

 Yellow Bonduc, or Nicker-tree ; 2. G. Bondu- 



