ANONACEJE. 269 



of Xylopia aromatica in the same way, and we shall see that in Brazil 

 other species of the same genus supply culinary condiments. 



The fruits of many Xylopim are used as aromatics. The one 

 longest known for this is the Guinea Pepper {Poivre de Guinee), the 

 berry of X. athiopica.^ The fruit of this plant (fig. 2G1) consists of a 

 woody peduncle swollen into a head, on which are inserted a number 

 of shortly stipitate, nearly cylindrical berries, about as thick as a 

 goosequill, tapering a little at the base, slightly acute or obtuse at 

 the apex, probably smooth on the surface when fresh, but slightly 

 wrinkled by desiccation, and presenting ill-marked, unequal con- 

 tractions between the seeds. Of these there are from three or four 

 to twelve or fifteen, uniseriate, ovoidal, blackish, and arillate. The 

 pericarp, blackish when dry, and adherent to the seeds by its deep 

 layer, consists of a sort of dried up pulp, with a faint smell of ginger 

 or turmeric, and is of a pungent, slightly musky taste. The seeds 

 possess these properties in a less degree. Guinea Pepper has been 

 used as a drug, and the negroes have employed it as a condiment 

 from time immemorial, and prize several other species of the same 

 genus from the Antilles and Brazil for the same purpose. Such are 

 X. frufescens- and aromatica^ in Guiana, the Xylopicron"^ of the Antilles, 

 and X. grandifora and sericea of Brazil. 



In the pharmacies of Brazil we find the fruits of three of these 

 species of Xylojna — viz., X. grandijlora, sericea, and frufescens. In 

 these are large globular cells, full of an aromatic volatile oil, of a 

 pungent flavour like pepper, but more delicate and agreeable to the 

 taste. De Martius' considers these remedies worthy of introduction 

 into our pharmacopoeias ; they are energetic tonics for tlie stomach 

 and intestines, on which they have a binding, carminative, and 

 stimulant action. In decoction, combined with Quassia amara, they 

 have often appeared a sovereign cure in weakness and atony of the 



' A. Rich., Fl. Cub., 53, not. — Unona atM- ^ Axibl., op. cit., 602, t. 21.2. It is the 

 O'pica Dux., Mon., 113. — Hahzelia mthiopica Jcrecou or Coiifjuerecoii. The caps\ilc 1ms uii 

 A. DC, Mem., 31, n. 1. — Umria (Ethiopica acrid taste and a smell of turpuntino. The cliewod 

 Rich., Guill. & Peer., Tent. Fl. Seneg., i. 9. — seeds and the bark are pungent and aromatic, 

 Fiper cuthiopicum Matth., Covim., i. 434. — and are used as spices by the negroes. 

 Piper nigrorum Serapioni C. 'QKVZ.—EabzeUa 3 Unona aromatica DuN., Mon., 112.— DC, 

 Bauh., P/»., 412. — X.undulataVkjj.\\-Ek.v\.,Fl. p,-odr. i. 91 n. 27. 

 Owar. et Ben., i. t. 16 (quoad fruct., 5). Accord- 

 ing to his synonymy, AUBLET(GMmn., 605,t. 243) ' !*• I^kowne, Jamaic, 250. 

 calls this plant Waria zeylanica, Bois d'ecorce, '" Fl. Bras., Anonac, 62. 

 Z'oivre d'lilhiopie, des nhgres, Maniguette. 



