CHAPTER IV 



CLOVES 



THE cloves of commerce are the unopened flower-buds 

 of the clove tree, Eugenia caryopliyllata, Thunb. 



This is a small tree belonging to the large order 

 Myrtaceae, which contains a very great number of 

 species of the genus Eugenia, natives of tropical and 

 subtropical regions all over the world. Aromatic as 

 many of the plants of this order are, none are as highly 

 so as this species, and none are as valuable in commerce. 



The clove tree is usually of no great size, generally 

 about 12 to 20 ft. tall, but in some places they attain 

 a height of 40 ft. The stem is usually forked, and has 

 often two or three erect main branches. The smaller 

 branches are usually sub-erect, and do not spread widely, 

 so that the tree is bushy and more or less cone-shaped. 

 The twigs are slender and rather brittle, with grey 

 bark. The bark of the trunk is also grey, and somewhat 

 smooth. The leaves are lanceolate-acute at both ends, 

 or sub-acute at the tip, and narrowed at the base into 

 a slender leaf stalk. Above, they are dark shining 

 green ; below, paler, thinly coriaceous. The nerves are 

 numerous, but not very conspicuous. The blade of the 

 leaf is 3 to 5 in. long and from 1 to 1 J in. wide. The 

 leaves of trees grown in shade are thinner, less stiff, 

 and larger than those grown in full sun. The young 

 leaves when put forth are greenish yellow, with a 

 pinkish tint, and as they develop gradually darken. 

 The leaves are in pairs. The petiole is slender, J to 



155 



