298 



MEDICAL BOTANY. 



Caryophyllus. — Linn. 



Calyx with the tube cylindrical, and the limb 4-partite. Petals 4. Stamens distinct, 

 arranged in four parcels, inserted in a quadrangular hollow near the calycine teeth. 

 Berry 1 — 2-celled; 1 — 2-seeded. 



A tropical genus composed of trees with opposite, rigid, dotted leaves, and cy- 

 mose, somewhat corymbose, terminal and axillary flowers. It was first esta- 

 blished by Tournefort, and adopted by Linnceus, but afterwards included in that 

 of Eugenia by Thunberg, in which he was followed by Willdenow and others ; 

 Persoon restored it to its original rank and name, as he found it differed from 

 Fugenia in the fruit, which is dry and 1 — 2-celled in Caryophyllus, and 

 fleshy and many-seeded in the former. 



C. aromaticus, Linn. — Leaves obovate, oblong, acuminate at both ends. Cymes axil- 

 lary and terminal, many-flowered. 



Linn, Sp. PI. 735; Woodville, t. 135; Stokes, Mat. Med. iii. 73; Ste- 

 phenson and Churchill, ii. 95 ; Bot. Mag. 2749. 



Common Names. — Clove tree ; Clove spike-tree. 



Foreign Names. — Giroflier, Fr. ; Garfano aromatico, It. ; Gewiirznaglen. 

 Ger. 



Description. — A handsome tree 

 Fig. 147. with a trunk from fifteen to thirty 



feet high, with many slender, op- 

 posite branches, forming a dense, 

 pyramidal head. The leaves are 

 opposite, persistent, rigid, with a 

 strong midrib and parallel lateral 

 nerves; ovate, lanceolate, entire, 

 smooth on both sides, with nume- 

 rous pellucid dots, and supported 

 on long, slender footstalks, which 

 are extremely aromatic. The 

 flowers are odorous, in short, ter- 

 minal cymes, trichotomously di- 

 vided, and jointed at every divi- 

 sion. The calyx is superior, and 

 consists of a cylindrical tube, and 

 four concave, spreading segments ; 

 it is first green, but afterwards red. 

 The petals are four, ovate, con- 

 cave, yellowish-red, larger than the 

 calyx, coherent by their edges, and 

 forming a calyptra which is cadu- 

 cous. In the centre of the calyx, 

 and at the top of the ovary, is a 

 quadrangular, elevated line, into 

 which the stamens are inserted ; 

 these are longer than the petals, 

 and bear small, yellow, ovate-cor- 

 date anthers. The ovary is oblong, 

 crowned by a short, subulate style. 

 The berry is purplish, elliptical, 

 1 — 2-seeded. Seed covered with 

 C. aromaticus. a soft, thin integument. 



The Clove tree is a native of the Moluccas, where it was abundant pre- 

 vious to their conquest by the Dutch, who, in a spirit of selfish monopoly, 



