No. 172. 
QUASSIA AMARA, 
Class. Order. 
DECANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
This genus received its name from Linnaeus 
in honour of a Surinam negro, called Quassi, 
who first found out the virtues of its wood, 
in curing the fever of that country of which 
it isa native. The whole of the tree, bark, 
wood, leaves, and flowers, are of the same 
quality, and intensely bitter; perhaps more 
so than any other substance at present 
known. 
With us it is a very ornamental plant, the 
foliage being extremely rich, and the flowers, 
which are elegant, are freely produced in the 
spring. 
Being from such a hot climate, it requires 
the stove constantly: we have tried it out of 
doors in summer ; but this treatment did not 
agree with it, 
It may be increased by cuttings slowly, 
and should be potted in rich loam, mixed 
with a portion of peat earth. 
