44 
NAT. ORDER. LEGUMINOS^. 
the eye, and rather sweet-scented, but the whole plant when bruis- 
ed has a disagreeable odor, very much resembling that of Savine, 
and is used in the West Indies by many supposing it to possess sim- 
ilar properties. This plant is considered valuable in the West In- 
dies (independent of its beauty) for making fences, mixed with the 
Parkinsonia aculata; which, says Jaquin, forms one of the most 
beautiful fences imaginable. 
This delightful plant cannot be cultivated in this country, (es- 
pecially in the Northern States,) without great care and nursing. 
It is a stove shrub requiring a strong heat, with plenty of pot room 
to grow it well. The soil should be three-fourths loam and one- 
fourth well rotted dung and peat, using plenty of drainers. It is 
propagated by seeds, which are occasionally received from the 
East and West Indies, and tropical America. There are frequently 
brought into this country different varieties, distinguished merely 
by the color of the flowers. 
The present drawing was made from a splendid specimen 
sent to the artist by John Willmore, Esq., about two years ago, 
when the plant flowered for the first time in that gentleman's col- 
lection. The stamens, which are always assurgent in this species, 
have been represented by our artist as declinate, owing, no doubt, 
to their having begun to flag before the drawing was commenced. 
Its generic name is in compliment to M. de Poinci, governor of the 
Antilles: pulcherrima refers to the beauty of its inflorescence. 
Medical Propei-ties and Uses. Various medical writers have 
attempted to describe the specific properties of this plant, and 
most of whom have fallen into a great error in supposing it to pos- 
sess considerable narcotic powers. An acquaintance of mine, a 
physician, who has lately come from Holland, kindly furnished 
me with a small package of the leaves of this plant, which he had 
brought for medical purposes; these leaves I subjected to a chem- 
ical process, and found them to be destitute of any narcotic pro- 
perties, but acting violently and powerfully as an emenagogue. 
