92 
CANELLA ALBA. 
generally substituted in the shops for the true Cortex Winteranus, 
which is but rarely met with ; this however is worthy of notice, 
that one, the Canella Alba, is a native of the Tropics, while the 
other has been found only in the Antariic regions. 
The stem of this tree rises very straight and npriiilit, varying in 
height, according to the situation in which it, grows, from ten to fifty 
feet, and sending out from its top only a number of erect branches; 
the stem of the tree is covered with a whitish bark, from whence the 
name, and by which it is easily distinguished in the woods from the 
surrounding trees; the leaves are oblong, obtuse, entire, of a dark 
shining green colour, thick like those of the laurel, which they 
somewhat resemble, and stand alternate upon short footstalks ; the 
flowers, which seldom open, are of a violet colour, small, and grow 
in clusters at the tops of the branches upon divided footstalks ; the 
calyx is mouophyllus, and divided into three lobes, nearly to its 
base, these lobes are roundish, smooth, concave, incumbent, mem- 
branous, of a green colour^ and persisteiit; the corolla is composed 
of five petals, of a violet colour, much longer than the calyx, sessile, 
oblong, concave, erect, and two of them somewhat narrower than 
the other three ; the nectary, which is as long as the petals, is pitcher- 
shaped, and supports tiie anthers, there being no tilaments; the 
anthers are twenty-one in number, and are fixed longitudinally to 
the nectary, they are linear, parallel, distinct, and single valved ; 
the germeu is ovate, superior, and supporls a cylindrical style fur- 
nished witii two rough obtuse convex stigmata ; the fniit is an oblong 
berry, containing from two to four kidney-shaped seeds of unequal 
size, these berries are at first green, then blue, and at last, become 
of a glossy black colour, and have a faint aromatic taste and smell. 
Sensible Properties. The entire tree is so very aromatic, 
that when in blossom it perfumes the whole neighbourhood ; the 
flowers dried and softened again in warm water, have a fragrant 
odour, approaching to that of musk. The leaves have a strong 
smell of laurel, and no doubt contain prussic acid. The officinal 
Canella Alba is the bark of the branches, freed from the epidermis, 
and dried in the shade ; it comes to Europe in long quills, about 
three quarters of an inch in diameter, somewhat thicker than cinna- 
mon, and both externally and iniernaily of a whitish colour, inchning 
to yellow or brown. Its taste is warm, pungent, aromatic, and 
somewhat hitter. Its smell is agreeable, and somewhat resembles 
that of cloves. Its virtues are best extracted by proof spirit; in 
distillatioji with water, it yields an active volatile oil, of a dark 
yellowish colour, thick tenacious consistence, and of an agreeable 
