FLORIDA SOAP-BERRY. 
73 
States, is found along the coast of Georgia and Florida, 
and in the interior as far as Arkansaw. It varies in height 
from 20 to 30 feet and sometimes even to 40 feet. Branches 
erect and smooth; the leaves smooth and shining, com- 
posed of 4 to 9 pair of alternate, lanceolate, acuminate, 
subfalcate leaflets. Panicles of flowers large, dense, termi- 
nal and axillary. 
Berries about the size of a cherry, with a saponaceous 
pulp, usually only one of the three carpels fertile. 
The S. saponaria of the West Indies, to which this spe- 
cies is allied, has long been in use by the natives for the 
purposes of soap. The fleshy covering of the seed, and 
also the root in some measure, makes an excellent lather in 
water ; but if used too frequently and of too great strength, 
is apt to burn and injure the texture of the cloth. 
The round black seeds were at one time largely imported 
into England, for the purpose of making buttons for waist- 
coats, being durable and not apt to break. 
At present they are used in the West Indies for various 
ornamental purposes, being tipped with silver or gold, and 
strung for beads, crosses, &c. It is also used as a medi- 
cine, and pounded and thrown into water, has the singular 
property of intoxicating and killing the fish which may be 
there. 
The w r ood is soft and not very durable. 
Plate LXV. 
Represents a branch of the natural size, a, A panicle of flowers. 
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