Foreign Vegetables. it 
from it, whereof fome are pretty thick and large, 
of an hard flexible Texture, and when the Plant 
is old, are extuberated like the main Root. Within 
it is of a pale Colour, of a fomewhat aftringent 
bitterifh Tafte, with a gentle fweetifh Kind of Acri- 
mony, which may be perceived by holding it 
fome Time in the Mouth, and a very gentle aro- 
matick Smell. The tuberous Part of the Root 
is preferred, and the Fibres, being almoft void 
of Tafte and Smell, are rejedled. It is called Con- 
tray erva by the Spaniards , on Account of its Qua- 
lity of refilling Poifons, for the Word in Spanijh 
fignifies Count er-Poifon. It is undoubtedly, in my 
Opinion, the Brakena of Clufius , as moft Botanifts 
allow, notwithftanding Cafpar Bauhine’s Opinion to 
the contrary; fince it agrees exadtly with his De- 
fcription. He gave it that Name in Memory of 
his receiving it from the famous Drake , who brought 
it with him when he returned from his Voyage 
round the World. 
[The Writers on Botany for a long Time gave 
very uncertain Accounts of the Plant to which it 
belongs ; fome believing it to be a Species of the 
Granadilla , others of the Commelina , &c. But Mr. 
William Houfton an Englijh Surgeon, whilft he was 
in America , gathered the true Contrayerva- Root in 
the Mountains near Vera-Cruz , and difcovered the 
Plant to be a Species of the Borftenia , which he 
calls Borftenia , Bentari <e radice , Sphondylii folio , 
placenta ovali , Philufoph. Tranfatt. An. 1731. n. 421 * 
Fig. 1. Borftenia , Sphondylii folio, Bentarice radice? 
Plum. Nov. gen. ip. 29. Borftenia, fc apis radicatis » 
Linn. Hort. Cliff, p. 32. Tiizpatlis , Hernand. Hift . 
Plant. Mex. Lib. v. c. 18. p. 147. Brakena radix , 
Clufti Exot. p. 83. Father Plumier found it in the 
Ifland of Saint-Vinceht in the Month of June. It 
grows alfo in Peru and Mexico , from whence it is 
brought by the Spaniards. 
Mr; 
