SEA-SIDE GRAPE. 
24 
Prunus maritima racemosct, folio subrotundo glabro , fructu minor e pur- 
pureo . Sloane, Jamaic. 183. Hist. vol. 2, p. 129, t. 220, f, 3. 
Catesby, Carol. 2, t. 96. 
Populus americana rotundifolia . Bauhin’s Pinax. p. 430. 
The Sea-Side Grape forms a large and spreading tree 
along the coasts of many of the West India islands, and 
on the shores of the extremity of East Florida, where it 
was observed at Key West, by Dr. Blodgett. It is truly 
remarkable for the enormous size of its almost round and 
smooth, strongly-veined leaves, which are often from 8 to 
10 inches in diameter. The trunk attains the height of 
from 25 to 60 feet, by 2 or more feet in diameter ; the 
wood is heavy, hard, and valued for cabinet work, when of 
sufficient size ; it is of a red or violet colour, and by boil- 
ing communicates the same fine colour to the water. The 
extract of the wood, or of the very astringent seeds, forms 
one of the kinds of kino employed in medicine. This sub- 
stance is of a very dark brown colour with a resinous frac- 
ture. According to Oviedo, the Spaniards, when in want 
of pen, ink and paper, used to employ the wide leaves of 
the Coccoloba, writing on them with the point of a bodkin. 
From its maritime predilection, it is known in the Ba- 
hamas by the name of the Mangrove Grape Tree. The 
fruit, disposed in long racemose clusters, is composed of 
pear-shaped, purple berries, about the size of cherries; 
they have a refreshing, agreeable sub-acid taste, with a 
thin pulp ; are esteemed wholesome, and brought to the 
table as a dessert, for which they are in considerable 
demand, but if the stone be kept long in the mouth it 
becomes very astringent to the taste. 
The branches are smooth and gray, but in old trunks the 
bark is rough and full of clefts. The leaves are dilated, 
round and obtuse, with a narrow sinus at the base, and 
upon very short petioles. The racemes of greenish-white 
