168 A, E. Verrill—The Bermuda Islands. 0 SO 
Tassel Plant. (Suriana maritima L.) 
A peculiar shrub, 4 to 5 feet high, belonging to the Simarubee, 
found on the ‘tropical coasts of America and most other countries. 
The leaves are crowded distally, downy and fleshy, small, linear- 
spatulate; flowers yellow, in small clusters or short racemes. Hun- 
gry Bay, and other places on the south shores. 
Dogwood ; Broom. (Dodonea viscosa L.) 
On the coasts of most tropical countries in dry barren places. 
Belongs to the soap-berry family. A shrub 6-8 feet high, with 
oblong or obovate, entire, viscid leaves, and short racemes of apetal- 
ous flowers. 
The Soap-berry Tree (see previous list) 1s a true sea-side species. 
Nicker Tree. ( Cesalpina bonducella L.= Guilandina bonducella Lef.) 
A trailing, prickly, leguminous sea-side shrub found on most tropical 
coasts, arising from large, hard, lead-colored floating seeds.* Wal- 
singham, rare. 
Bay Bean ; Sea-side Bean. (Canavalia obtusifolia DC.) 
A native sea-side vine, with rose-colored flowers, found on most 
tropical shores, its brown seeds retaining vitality after long immer- 
sion in the sea. The leaves are trifoliate. The pods are 4 to 5 
inches long and about an inch wide.f 
’ 
Sea-side Bean. (Vigna luteola Benth.) 
An American sea-side vine, but found on many other tropical 
coasts, like the last. The flowers are yellow, in axillary racemes. 
Sea-side Locust. (Sophora tomentosa L.) 
A leguminous shrub, 4 or 5 feet high, with pinnate, downy gray 
leaves, and yellow showy flowers; found on nearly all tropical sea- 
shores, owing to the vitality of its sea-drifted seeds. Smith’s Island 
and South Shore ; not common. 
* Known as bonduc-seeds or Molucca beans, used in India as a tonic and 
febrifuge. 
+ This is supposed to be the vine referred to by Capt. John Smith (Hist. Vir- 
ginia) as follows: ‘‘ A kind of Woodbind there is likewise by the sea, very com- 
monly to be found, which ruunes upon trees turning itself like a Vine: the 
fruit somewhat resembles a Beane, but somewhat flatter, the which any way 
eaten worketh excellently in the nature of a purge, and though very vehemently, 
yet without all perill.” I do not know whether this plant has such properties ; 
the seeds of some species of the genus are edible. 
