CROTON ELUTERIA. 
231 
Gen. Char. Male* Calyx cylindrical, five- toothed. Co- 
rolla five-petalled. Stamens ten to fifteen. 
Female. Calyx many-leaved. Corolla none. 
Styles three, bifid. Capsule three-celled. Seed one. 
Spec. Char. Leaves ovate, lanceolate, entire, under-side 
downy* Stem arborescent. 
This tree is a native of the Bahama Islands, it has also been 
found in Jamaica, by Dr. Wright. It was first introduced into 
Britain about the year 1748, by Mr. P. Miller, who says, " this plant 
will live through the winter in an airy glass case, without artificial 
heat, but in that situation should have very little water in winter, for 
the plant abounds with a milky juice like the Euphorbia, so must at 
no season of the year have too much wet ; it may be propagated by 
cutting, during the summer season." 
This tree seldom exceeds twenty feet in height,* the stem divides 
into numerous branches towards the top, and is covered with a 
brownish smooth bark ; the young branches when broken, ooze out 
a thick balsamic liquor; the leaves are entire, ovate or cordate, lan- 
ceolate, and somewhat elongated towards the apex, on the upper 
side of a bright green, and stand alternately on footstalks ; the 
flowers are in axillary and terminal racemes ; the calyx is divided 
into five ovate leaflets ; the petals are five, whitish, oblong, obtuse, and 
spreading ; the female flowers are composed of a roundish germen, 
supporting three bifid spreading styles, terminated by obtuse stig- 
mata : the male flowers have ten subulate filaments, supporting erect, 
compressed anthers; the capsule is superior,globular, rough, marked 
with six furrows, and divided into three cells, containing a solitary 
oval shining seed. 
The tree we have described, is now generally believed by bota- 
nists to be the species which supplies the cascarilla bark of the shops, 
although the London College refers it to the Croton Cascarilla of 
Linnaeus, the bark of which, according to Dr., Wright, has none of 
the sensible qualities of cascarilla : but it is very probable, that the 
cascarilla bark may be the produce of various species of Clulia.f 
Cascarilla bark is imported into Europe chiefly from the Bahama 
* In this country it seldom exceeds three or four feet in height, Miller's Card. 
Diet. 
f This tree is the Clutia Elutheria of Linnaeus. 
