450 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



acidulate or slightly astringent. Their coloui- and shape have often 

 given to the shruhs bearing them the name of Antilles or Barbadoes 

 cherries. Such are M. aquifolia.,^ coccifcra^ fucata^ imnicifolia^ 

 introduced iuto our greeuhoiises and esteemed for the elegance of 

 their flowers.'' They are less beautiful however than the species of 

 GalpMmia with long clusters of yellow flowers, frequently cultivated 

 by us. M. (jlahva^^ a native of Mexico, and Nicaragua, has received 

 the common names of Xocof- and Xochtotl (that is to say beiTy). In 

 Jamaica, it is cultivated for its fruit. The same with M. urens ^ in 

 the French Antilles, under the names of Bois-ccqntaine (Fr.), Brin- 

 d^amour (Fr.), etc. The flesh of the pericarp hns an agreeable 

 bitterish taste, is easy of digestion, and is supposed to dilute and 

 refe-esh the blood. A rob is prepared from it, or it is made up with 

 jelly and preserved fi-uits, and used for diarrhoea, haemorrhage, leu- 

 corrhcea and inflammatory fevers. M. jnmicifolia has also an edible 

 fruit ; it is eaten rolled in sugar, and a refreshing juice is prepared 

 from it ; it is said to be laxative beyond a certain dose. The wood 

 is used for tanning and dj'oiug red. Remarkably enough, whilst the 

 Brazilians have long recognised as edible the fruit of Byrsonima^ 

 especially those of i?. crassifolia, intermedia^ pachjphijlla.,sericea,spicataf 

 and those of several Bunclwsia^ the almonds of B. Armeniaca^^ are 

 supposed to be poisonous ; and whilst the bark of so many species 

 of Malpirjldaccce form astringent remedies, the root of Banisteria 

 Pragua ^^ is employed in Brazil, according to Vellozo, as an evacuant, 

 sometimes substituted as laxative and emetic for Cephcelis Ipeca- 

 cuanha. The wood of the MalpighiacecB is neither heavy nor hard, 

 but it is sufiiciently resistcnt to serve for the fabrication of beams 



' h,Spec.&\\, — Can. Diss. \ra. 409, t. 236. — hedges of them in tropical America, so that 



il, ilicifoiia Mill. these iusects may pillage them. 



2 L. Spec. ed. Eeich. ii. 371.— Jacq. Ic. Rar. " L. Spec. 609.— Cav. Diss. 406, t. 234 



t. 470. — M, CiCtiijrija L. This species owes its {Jamuican Cherric). 



name, lilco several others, to being used as a re- ' L. Spec. 6010. — Cay. Tlifx. 407, t. 235 



treatbyinsects(C'_yHi)M.') wliopuncturetheleaves [Cerisier-capitaine, lic Councilt, Bois Hiiiscliii, 



to deposit their eggs, and it becomes, in corse- Cou/iayt). 



quence, covered with galls, in the thickness of ^ JIaucgk. Sms. (ed. 1648), 118. — Piso, 



■which the larvse may find nourishment. JSi-n.<:. (ed. 165S), 171 [Munci petiiitja, M. 



■' Kek, in li'jt. Ri(i.t. 189. — M. Macrophylla ffiin^). 



Debf. Cat. Hort. Pur. 169 (nee Pf.ks.).— Tukp. « Rich. DC. Prodr. i. 582, n. W.—Malpiffhia 



Vict. Sc. Nut. Atl. t. 164 {UoiiieilUr uitli large Armeniuca Cat. Diss. 410, t. 238. 



flowers.) •!» Velloz. Fl. Flum. 190, iv. t. 158.— ? He- 



* L. Spec. 609. — A. Juss. Malpigli. 10, n. 12. ternptcrys ISijriiigceJlora Griseb. Linneea xiii. 



" These flowers are often very odorous ; they 223. 

 attract boes, and de JIaktids advises planting 



