RUBIACEM. 387 



the reputation of curing colic, spasm, several nervous disorders, as 

 hypochondria, hysteria, &c. 



Some Rahiacece have edible fruit, particularly the Genipas. The 

 Indians eat that of G, americana (fig. 296), which is astringent and 

 not agreeable to Europeans, and make a sort of wine from its fermented 

 juice; they also tattoo themselves with its pulp. The fruit of G. 

 Camto is used in the same way on the banks of the Orinoco. In Peru 

 the fruit of G, ohlongifolia is eaten ; in Cayenne that of Amaioua 

 enopila ' and A. edulis.^ In tropical Africa, the compound fruit of 

 Sarcocephalus esculentus ^ is eaten by the inhabitants, as also that of 

 some species of Oxyanthus and of Canthium edule^ (fig. 290-292). 

 The small acid fruit of Cateshma spinosa ^ and that of Hamelia patens, 

 in the Antilles, are sometimes utilized, but are not esteemed. Those 

 of Isertia coccinea and Posoqueria drupacea ^ are consumed in Guyana ; 

 but they are indifferent. Those of the Elders are sometimes eaten 

 or used to make confectionary or beverages ; a kind of brandy is made 

 from the drupes of the Black Elder and the pulp is mixed with wine 

 to colour it. The fruits of Vihernum Opulus and Lantana are also 

 eaten but they are detestable. In India that of Canthium parviflorum 

 is considered edible, as also in America that of Mitchella repens ^ (fig. 

 294), in Oceania that of Guettarda speciosa (fig. 286, 287), which is 

 astringent and disagreeable. 



The wood ^ of the Piuhiaceoe is of indifferent quality, and large trees 

 are not common in this family. Kemarkable exceptions however are 

 Nauclea and Ourouparia, the wood of which is of extreme hardness 

 and might be used for the same purposes as Box. That of several 



• Buroia eriopila L.f. Sappl. 30, 209. — Genipa ^ Vangueria edulis Vahl, St/mb. iii. 36. — DC. 



Meriance Rich. Hub. 164. Frodr. iv. 454, n. 1. — V. cymosa G.ertn. f. Fruct. 



2 Gardenia edulis Poir. Suppl. ii. 70S.— Genipa iii. 75, t. 193.— F. madagascariensis Gmel.— T. 

 «</«;is EiCH. (L.-C). — Jlibertia edulis Ricn. {A.) Commersonii Desf.— Jacq. Hort. Schaiihr. i. t. 

 Rub. 154, t. 11, fig. 1 {Goyave noire). The fruit 44.— F. venosa Scnmv. — Favanga edulis Vahl, 

 oi Genipa mitis is eaten and used in the prepara- Act. Hafn. ii. p. i. 207, 208, t. 7. — V. chinensia 

 tion of an astringent extract. In Cochin China, Rohr. V. spinosa Roxb. of India has also 

 that of G. eseulenta Lour, is eaten ; in America, edible fruit. 



ihs^ioi Gardenia Mussae^idaTnvii-B.; in Asia and ^ L. Spec. 159.— Curt. Bot. Mag. t. 131.— C. 



Africa that of some species of Gardenia, Randia longiflora Sw. 



and Oxyanthus. « Randia ? drupacea DC. Frodr. iv. 389. 



3 Afzel. ex Sab. Trans. Hort. Soc. Land. v. 7 L. Spec. 161.— DC. Frodr. iv. 452, n. 1. 

 442, t. 18.— HiERN, Ft. Trop. Afr. iii. 38.— « That of Cinchona, Anthocephalus, Nauclea, 

 Cephalina eseulenta Schum. et Thonn. Feskr Gardenia, Coffea, Sambucus, Lonicera, Viburnum, 

 Guin. 105.— Nauclea latifolia Sm. Fees Cyclop. Symphoricarpos, has been specially studied by 

 xxiii. n. 5. — ? N. sambucina Wint. Acc. S. Leone, M. J. Moeller (Beitr. zur Vergl. Anat, d. Holz. 

 ii. 46 [Day, Amellihy, at Sierra- Leone). DenJcachr. Wien. Akad. Wiss. 1876). 



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