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362 



EMBIRA VERMELHA. [APPEND. 



are manifestly monadelphic. This last circumstance in- 

 clined me to call it apeiba monadelpha, but the use to 

 which the tree is applied in the construction of rafts de- 

 cided me in calling it cimbalaria. 



Embira Vermelha, Unona carminativa: — Arrud. 

 Cent. Plant. Pern. 



This plant has a red fibrous bark, of which as much 

 use is made in manufacturing cordage as of the embira 

 branca ,• but the bark ought not to be permitted to be 

 gathered, for the tree produces seeds, of which the 

 capsules have the taste and the pungency of black pepper. 

 Many persons make use of them as a spice in cooking, 

 and some even prefer them to pepper ; they are car- 

 minative. If the bark is taken off, the tree dies ; the 

 seeds are worthy of becoming an article of trade as a 

 spice.* 



I have omitted a great number of plants which possess 

 fibrous properties, that this Dissertation might not be. 

 made too long ; some of them are not much in use, and 

 others are not applied to any purpose. I shall mention 

 some, such as the guaxuma branca da mata {helicteras 

 baruensis) of which the inner bark is white and strong, 

 but on being wetted, it becomes rotten and breaks. 

 However, I think it might be applied to the manufacture 

 of paper. The barriguda or sumdtima (bombax ventri- 

 casa : — Arrud. Cent. Plant. Pern.), and the Sertam plant, 

 called the embiratanha t which I have named bombax 

 mediterranean also afford fibre from the bark, but they 

 are not much used. All the species anona (called com- 

 monly areticum) afford fibre, and of these the plant 

 which gives the strongest and the most durable fibre is 



* The seeds have a strong aromatic smell, and the taste is very 

 pleasant — Transl. 



