M E 



M E 



i uilnnlibus, extimis obfolstioribus . Lift. 

 Jort. Cliff. American GooIbc:rry-tree, 

 /ith oval fpear-fhaped Leaves having 

 \vt longitudinal Veins, 

 j 2 . Me l a s tom a folits ovato-lan- 

 rolatis integer rimis fubtus friceis, 

 er<vis ante apicem coeuntibus. Lin. 

 \lart. Cliff. American Goofberry-tree, 

 ,'ith whole ovulfpear-fhaped Leaves, 

 <aving three Veins which join be- 

 >re they reach the End of the 

 ..eaves. 



3. Me LA stoma foliis lanccolatis 

 frinque glabris, nervtJ tribus ante 

 tjin coeuntibus. Lin. Hort. Cliff. 

 'mericanGoofcerry-tree, with fpear- 

 laped Leaves, fmooth on both Sides, 

 ad three Veins joining before fhey 

 ;ach the Bottom. 



4. Me L a s rOM a fc His lanccolatis, 

 ?r<vis tribus longitudinalibus fubtus 

 \abris coloratis. Lin. Hort. Cliff, 

 'merican Goofberry-tree, with fpear- 

 laped Leaves, having three longi- 

 fdinal Veins, and fmooth on their 

 /nder-fide. 



5. Me la stoma qrinqucncr'jia 

 'rt a major, copitulis friceis villojts. 

 firm. Zeyl. Greater hairy American 

 oofberry-tree, with Leaves having 



e Veins, and the Heads covered 

 ith a filky Down. 



1 6. Melastoma foliis oblongo- 

 >atis acuminatis, fubtus ni-veis, ner- 

 s quinque longitudinalibus, fjribus 

 nbellatis. American Goofberry-tree, 

 ith oblong oval-pointed Leaves, 

 hite on their Under-iide, and three 

 ngitudinal Veins, the Flowers 

 .owing in an Umbel. 



7. Melastoma birfutij/ima, fo- 

 s acutis, fubtus aureis, neruis quin- 

 e longitudinalibus, fruclu 'verticil- 

 >to. The molt hairy American 

 :Oofberry-tree, with pointed Leaves 

 hich are of a gold Colour on their 

 nder-fide, having five longitudinal 

 •-ins, and the Fruit growing in 



horles round the Stalks. 



Thefe Plants are Natives of the 

 warmed Parts of America, and fome 

 of them alfo grow in India. Moil 

 of thefe grow upon the Mountains 

 in the Iflands of Jamaica, and in 

 the Brafils ; but I do not find, that 

 the Fruit are eaten by the Inhabit- 

 ants of thofe Places. 



The Title of this Genus was 

 given by ProfelTor Burman of Am- 

 Jierdam, in the Tbefaurus Zeylanicus : 

 fbme of thefe Plants have b?en titled 

 Sambucus ; Others Cbrifophoriana : 

 and to fome of the Species Dr. Pluke~ 

 net gave the Title of Acidendron ; 

 but Sir Hans Sloane, and Father 

 Plumier, have given them the Title 

 of Groffularia ; from whence I have 

 applied the Englfj Name of Goof- 

 berry to them, which is the Name 

 by which fome of them are known 

 in America. 



The firft Sort rifes about four or 

 five Feet high ; the Stem and Branch- 

 es being covered with a ruftet Down : 

 the Leaves are placed on the Branch- 

 es by Pairs, growing oppofite, upon 

 pretty long Footllalks : thefe Leaves 

 are alio covered with the fame rufiet 

 Down, and having five Ribs or 

 Veins running thro' the Leaves from 

 End to End, with fmall tranfverfe 

 Ribs : the Fruit is produced at the 

 End of the Shoots, which is a pulpy 

 blue Berry, as large as a Nutmeg. 



The fecond Sort grows to be a 

 large Tree, having many crooked 

 Branches, covered with a brown 

 Bark : the Leaves are placed alter- 

 nately on the Branches : thefe Leaves 

 are fmooth, intire, and above fiva 

 Inches long, and two broad in the 

 Middle, with three deep Veins run- 

 ning thro' them : the Upper-fide of 

 thele Leaves are of a fine Green, 

 and fmooth ; but the Under-fide is 

 covered with a fofc white Lanugo or 

 Down, which makes a fine Ap- 

 pearance. 



The 



