156 SPICES 



CHAP. IV 



nearly 1 in. long, thickened at the base. The leaves 

 are very aromatic, being full of minute oil glands, just 

 visible with an ordinary lens as green dots on the 

 lower surface. 



The presence of these oil glands makes the leaves 

 very fragrant when crushed, and on a damp, hot evening 



BRANCH OF CLOVE WITH CLOVE RIPE FOR GATHERING. 



the scent of a clove tree can be detected a considerable 

 distance away. 



The flowers are produced in the latter half of the 

 year, and are borne on the ends of the branches in 

 small bunches, consisting of three angular peduncles, 

 each of which bears three shortly-stalked flowers on 

 the tip. There are small, linear, fleshy bracts to the 

 flowers. The whole inflorescence is l|- in. long. Each 



