PLANTS. 301 



green shrub, with leathery, coreaceous. slender, lanceolate 

 leaves ; flowers, pale red, have a faint odor, like that of 

 bitter almonds. This beautiful plant has been brought 

 us from the East Indies ; delights in warmth, and re- 

 quires a great deal of water. In countries bordering on 

 the Mediterranean, it is planted on the banks of brooks. 

 Common in Palestine, growing by rivulets; known as 

 Rose Bay Tree ; is commonly supposed by travelers to 

 be the plant to which the Psalmist alludes, Ps. i. 3, 

 and xxxvii. 35. Branches soft, and contain a milky 

 juice, it. 



Several other American plants, known as varieties of 

 the Silkweed, belong to the Asclepiadacese. 



The Gum Elastic Tree (Tabernaemomontana elas- 

 tica) is a climbing shrub, with acuminate, oval leaves 

 and small, greenish flowers. It mounts to the top of 

 the highest trees. Native of Sumatra, where the inhab- 

 itants use it as gum elastic. They make incisions into 

 the trunk, and the milky sap which follows, is collected. 

 This fluid, dried in the sun, thickens, and forms a kind 

 of- gum elastic, much inferior, however, to the Caout- 

 chouc, but used as such by the natives. Seldom em- 

 ployed in Europe. 



FORTY-FOURTH FAMILY. GENTIANACE^;. (Class 5, 

 L.) Pentandria, are mostly plants with five free stamens. 



The Yellow Gentian (Gentiana lutea) has oval, 

 strongly ribbed leaves ; flowers yellow, rotate ; arranged 

 in verticils ; grows profusely on high hills, or dry wooded 

 places. Root thick and fleshy, has an unpleasant odor ; 

 tastes, at first, sweetish, afterwards intolerably bitter; 

 used as a tonic in medicine. Found in Europe and 

 America. 2 . 



Buck Bean (Menyanthes trifoliata), Tourn. Leaves 



