46 APPENDIX. 



The Rack fomething refembles the afh on its firft ap- 

 pearance, though in the formation of its parts it is widely 

 different. Its bark is white and polifhed, fmooth, and with- 

 out furrows. Its trunk is generally 7 or 8 feet before it 

 cleaves into branches. I have feen it above 24 feet in height, 

 and 2 feet diameter. 



Its leaves are, two and two, fet on different fides, that is,. 

 each two perpendicular to each other alternately. The fmall 

 branches that bear flowers part from the infide of the leaf, 

 and have the fame pofition with the leaves ; that is, fuppofe 

 the loweft pair of leaves and branches are on the eaft or weft 

 fide of the tree, the pair above them will be on the north 

 and fouth, and the next to thefe will be on the weft as be- 

 fore. The leaves are long and very fharp- pointed ; in the 

 infide a deep green, and in the out a dirty white of a green 

 cafl ; they have no vifible ribs either in the infide or out* 

 The cup is a perianthium of four petals, which clofely con- 

 fine the flower, and is only a little flat at the top. The 

 flower is compofed of four petals deeply cut, in the interfti- 

 ces of which is a fmall green fruit divided by a fifTure in the 

 middle ; its colour is deep orange, with lights of gold co- 

 lour, or yellow, throughout it. It has no fmell, taftes very 

 bitterly, and is never feen to be frequented by the bees. It 

 is probable that a tree of this kind, tho' perhaps of another 

 name, and in greater perfection, and therefore more fit for 

 ufe, may be found in fome of our Weft- India iflands be- 

 tween hit. i5°and 16 , efpccially where there are fait fprings 

 and marfhes* 



GIR 



