A H 



A H 



The Species are ; 

 I. AhouaI. Tbev. Franc. An- 

 larcl. 66. 



, 2. Ahouai nerii folio, fore luteo. 

 Plum. Ahouai with an Oleander- 

 leaf, and a yellow Flower. 



Thefe two Plants grow in great 

 Plenty on the Continent in the South- 

 ern Parts of America ; but are lefs 

 common in the Iflands of America. 

 The firit of them grows to the 

 Height of our common Cherry- 

 trees; the Leaves are three or four 

 Inches long, and almoft two Inches 

 broad. The whole Tree is full of 

 a milky Juice, which flows out on 

 breaking or wounding any Part of 

 it. The Wood of this Tree ftinks 

 mod abominably ; and the Kernel 

 cf the Nut is a moft deadly Poifon ; 

 fo that the Indians always caution 

 their Children againft eating of it; 

 for. they know of no Antidote to 

 expel this Poifon, nor will they 

 life the Wood of this Tree for Fuel ; 

 but they take the Kernel out of the 

 Shell, into which they put fmall 

 Stones, and then bore an Hole thro' 

 each Shell, and firing them : thefe 

 they tie about their Legs, to dance 

 with, as is the Cuftom of our Mor- 

 ris-dancers with Bells. 



The fecond Sort is of much lower 

 Growth than the firft, and feldom 

 rifes above ten or twelve Feet high. 

 The Fruit of this Tree is of a beau- 

 tiful red Colour when ripe ; but 

 the whole Plant abounds with a 

 milky Juice, as the former, and I 

 believe is equally poifonous. I re- 

 ceived the Seeds of this Plant from 

 Panama, which were collected by 

 Mr. Robert Millar, Surgeon, in the 

 Year 1735. tnev came U P in an 

 Hot-bed very well, and fome of the 

 Plants produced Flowers the fame 

 Year. 



Thefe Plants may be propagated 

 from their Nuts, which mould be 

 Vol. h 



put into fmall Pots fill'd with light 

 Earth, and plunged into an Hot- 

 bed of Tanners Bark, obferving to 

 water them frequently, to promote 

 their Vegetation. Wnen the Plants 

 are come up about two Inches high, 

 they mould be tranfplantcd each into 

 a feparate Pot fill'd with frefh light 

 Earth, and plunged again into an 

 Hot-bed of Tanners Bark, obferv- 

 ing to made the GlalTes in the HeaC 

 of the Day, until the Plants have 

 taken new Root. When the Plants 

 are grown abou' a Foot h gh, the/ 

 mould have a larger Share of Air, 

 in order to harden them before the 

 Winter; but they mould not be 

 wholly expofed to the open Air the 

 rlrft Year, becaufe it will flint theic 

 Growth. In the Winter thefe Plants 

 mould be placed in a warm Stove, 

 and during that Seafon they mould 

 'be frequently refrefned with Water} 

 but it mutt not be given to them in 

 great Quantities in cold Weather, 

 left it Ihould rot their Roots. In 

 the following Spring thefe Plants 

 mould be fluffed again into other 

 Pots; and if you have Conveniency 

 to plunge them into a moderate Hoc- 

 bed of Tanners Bark, it will greatly 

 promote their taking new Root. In 

 June following thefe Plants mould 

 be inured to bear the open Air by 

 degrees, into which they ihould be 

 removed toward the Latter-end of 

 the fame Month ; but they mould 

 be placed in a warm Situation, where 

 they may be fheltered from ftrong 

 Winds : in fuch a Situation they 

 will bear the open Air of our Cli- 

 mate very well until September, when 

 they mould be again removed into 

 the Stove, and muft be managed 

 during the Winter- feafon, as wa3 

 before directed. Thefe Plants pro- 

 duce their Flowers plentifully in 

 Augufl ; but they have not as yet 

 produced any Fruit in this Country. 

 D They 



