BONFLANDIA TRIFOLIATA. 
258 
t)f five oval, hairy ovaries, with a single style, supporting five fleahy 
green stigmas ; the fruit consists of five oval, bivalve capsules, each 
containing a single seed.* 
Cusparia or Angustura bark was formerly supposed to be the 
product of a tree growing in Africa, or the Spanish West Indies, and 
the first parcels of bark were imported from St. Domingo ; but the 
travels and discoveries of Humboldt and Bonpland have led to the 
knowledge of the true place of its growth. The generic name given 
to this tree was imposed by Willdenow in honour of Bonpland, and 
since adopted by Humboldt. f 
Sensible and Chemical Properties, &c. Genuine Angus- 
tura or Cusparia bark, as it conies to market, has a peculiar, but 
not very powerful odour ; its taste bitter, somewhat aromatic, and 
rather permanent, when chewed leaving a sense of heat and pungency 
in the mouth and throat. Externally the pieces are covered with 
a greyish wrinkled epidermis; internally the surface is smooth, and 
of a yellowish brown colour ; it breaks with a close, short, resinous 
fracture, and is easily pulverized. The powder, when triturated 
with lime or calcined magnesia, emits a smell of ammonia. It yields 
its active matter both to hot and cold water ; the watery infusion pre- 
cipitates infusion of galls, and yellow cinchona, and is precipitated by 
sulphate of iron, tartarized antimony, sulphate of copper, acetate of 
lead, oxymuriate of mercury, and pure potass, but it does not preci- 
pitate gelatin ; sulphuric acid gives the infusion a browa colour, and 
gradually a lemon-yellow precipitate is deposited ; nitric acid deepens 
the colour of the infusiou to a blood -red, and after some time pro- 
duces a lemon-coloured precipitate ; the muriatic acid does not effect 
it. The alcoholic tincture reddens litmus paper, and becomes milky 
on the addition of water ; sulphuric ether takes up one part from ten 
of the powder, and when evaporated on water leaves a greenish -yellow 
acid resin, and renders the water milky ; by distillation with water. 
* Dr. Hancock, who traversed repeatedly, and resided during several months in tlie 
missions of Carony, where he had an opportunity of seeing many thousands of the trees 
which produce the Angustura bark, says, that it seldom or never exceeds the altitude of 
twenty feet, the usual medium being about twelve or fifteen feet. The diameter of the 
trunk, which is tolerably erect, is from three to five inches. The parts of fructification 
also differ very materially from Humboldt's description. We would recommend our 
readers \vho may feel interested upon the subject, to read ti e doctor's scientific paper 
on the subject in the first number of the Medico-Botanical Transactions. 
f The London College, in their Materia Medica, still retains the name originally 
given to this tree by Humboldt, viz. Cusparia Febrifuga. 
VOL.11. 2N 
