M A L 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third fedt'ion of 
Linnaeus’s tenth elafs, intitled Decandria Trigynia, 
which includes the plants whofe flowers have ten i la- 
ne mi and three" ftyles. 
The Species are, . 
1. Malpighi a ( Glabra ) folds ovatis integerrimis gla- 
bris, pedunculis umbellatis. Hort. Cliff. 169. Mal- 
pighia with fmooth , oval, entire leaves , and umbellate \d 
foot-jlalks. Cerafus Jamaicenfis, fructu tetrapyreno. 
Hort. Ami 1. p. 145. Jamaica Cherry with a fruit 
having four feeds , commonly called Barbadoes Cherry . 
2. Malpighia ( Punici folia ) foliis ovato-lanceOlatis, 
acuminatis, glabris-, peduncnlis umbellatis. Mal- 
pighia with oval, fpear-Jhaped , fmooth leaves , ending in 
acute points, and umbellatei foot-ftalks. Malpighia ma- 
il punici facie. Plum. Nov. Gen. 4 6. Malpighia with 
the appearance of Pomegranate. 
3. Malpighia {Incam ) foliis lanceolatis fubtus incanis, 
pedunculis umbellatis aiaribus. Malpighia with fpear- 
jbaped leaves , hoary on their tinder fide , and umbellated 
foot-jlalks , proceeding from the wings of the ftaik. 
4. Malpighia ( V'rens ) foliis cordato-lanceolatis, fetis 
decumbentibus rigidis, racemis lateralibus. Malpighia 
with fpear heart-Jlsaped leaves , having rigid declining 
briftles , and hunches of flowers proceeding from the Jides 
of the ftalks. Malpighia latifolia, folio fubtus fpino- 
1b. Plum. Nov. Gen. 46. Broad-leaved Malpigha, with 
/pines- growing on the under fide of the leaf. 
5. Malpighia ( Nitida ) foliis ovatis acutis glabris, pe- 
dmmilis umbellatis aiaribus terminalibufque. Mal- 
pighia with' ovaf fmooth , acute-pointed leaves , and um- 
bellated foot-jlalks , proceeding from the fides and at the 
ends of the branches. 
6. Malpighia ( Paniculata ) foliis oblongo-cordatis acu- 
minatis glabris, pedunculis paniculatis, aiaribus ter- 
minalibufque. Malpighia with oblong , heart-Jhaped , 
fmooth leaves , ending in acute points , and paniculated 
foot-jlalks proceeding from the fides and ends of the 
branches. Apocynum fruticofum, folio oblongo acu- 
minate, floribus racemofis. Sloan. Cat. 89. Shrubby 
Dog/bane with an oblong acute-pointed leaf and flowers 
growing in chijlers. 
y. Malpighia (. Anguftifolia ) foliis lineari-lanceolatis, 
fetis decumbentibus rigidis, pedunculis unbellatis 
aiaribus. Malpighia with linear fpear-Jhaped leaves , ■ ri- 
gid declining briftles , and foot-jlalks having umbels of 
flowers proceeding from the fdes of the branches. Mal- 
pighia anguftifolia, folio fubtus fpinofo. Plum. Nov. 
Gen. 46. Narrow-leaved Malpighia with [pines under 
the leaves. 
8. Malpighia ( TUmfolia) foliis lanceolatis dentato-fpi- 
nofis fubtus hifpidis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 426. Malpighia 
with fpear-Jhaped leaves , indented and prickly , whofe 
under fdes are fet with fpiny hairs. Malpighia an- 
guftis & acuminatis aquifolii foliis. Plum. Nov. Gen. 
46. Mfilpighia with narrow and acute-pointed Holly 
leaves. 
9. Malpighia ( Lucida ) foliis oblongo-ovatis obtu- 
fis glabris, pedunculis racemofis aiaribus. Malpighia 
with oblong oval leaves , which are obtufe and fmooth , 
and branching foot-jlalks of flowers proceeding from the 
fides of the branches. 
10. Malpigipja' iCoccigrya) foliis fufyovatis dentato-fpi- 
nofis, pedunculis unifloris. Malpighia with leaves 
nearly oval , indented , and prickly , and fooi-flalks with 
one flower. Malpighia humilis, ilicis cocci-glandi- 
ferse foliis. Plum. Nov. Gen. 46. Low Malpighia with 
leaves like the Ke'rmes Oak. 
The firft fort is commonly cultivated in the Weft- 
Indies for the fake of its fruit ; this tree ufually 
grows to the height of fixteen or eighteen feet, having 
a (lender ftem, covered with a light brown bark. 
The leaves are produced oppofite they are oval, 
fmooth, ending in acute poins, and continue all the 
year. The flowers are produced .in bunches upon 
pretty long foot-ftalks, which come out from the fide 
and at the end of the branches ; thefe are compofed 
of five roundifh petals, which are of a Rofe colour, 
joined at their bafe. The flowers are fucceeded by 
red fruit, ftiaped like thole of the fmall wild Cherry, 
M A L 
and of the fame fize, having feveral furrows, each 
mclofing four angular furrowed (tones, fur rounded 
by a thin pulp, which has .an agreeable add flavour ; 
the fruit of this often ripens in England. 
The fecond fort grows, naturally in Jamaica ; this 
rifes with a fhrubby (talk ten or twelve feet high, di- 
viding into feveral (lender fpreading branches, cover- 
ed with a light brown bark, garniffied with oval, 
fpear-fhaped, fmooth leaves placed oppofite, ending in 
acute points. The flowers are produced in (mail um- 
bels at the end of the branches, upon fhort foot-ftalks f 
they are of a pale Rofe colour, and compofed of five 
obtufe concave petals which are indented, having long” 
narrow tails, by which they are joined ; thefe ip re ad 
open, and in the center is fit u a ted the roundifh ger- 
men, fupporting three ftyles, attended by ten ftami- 
' na which fpread afunder. The germeh afterward 
turns to a roundifh pulpy berry with many furrows, 
red when ripe, inclofing three or four hard angular 
feeds. The fruit of this fort is eaten by the inhabitants- 
of the ides in America. 
The third fort grows naturally at Campeachy, from 
whence it was lent me by the late Mr. Robert Millar. 
This rifes with a ftrong woody ftaik eighteen or twen- 
ty feet high, dividing into many branches, covered 
with a brown fpotted bark, garni fhed with fpear- 
fhaped leaves placed oppofite, which are hoary on 
their under fide. The flowers come out in umbels 
from the fide of the branches i they are of a Rofe co- 
lour, and are fucceeded by oval channelled fruit, like 
thofe of the former fort. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in Jamaica, from 
whence the late Dr. Houftoun fent me the feeds. 
This rifes with a woody ftaik from fifteen to eighteen 
feet high, dividing into many pretty ftrong branches, 
which are furrowed, and covered with a brown bark. 
The leaves are from three to four inches long, and 
one broad at their bafe, where they are rounded in 
form of a heart, leffening gradually to the point j 
they are covered on their under fides with flinging 
briftly hairs fo clofely, as to render it very trouble- 
fome to handle them, for thefe hairs fallen themfclves 
into the fiefh, and are difficult to get out again. The 
flowers are produced in umbels from the fide of the 
branches j they are of a light purple colour, and 
fhaped like thofe of the other fpecies ; they are fuc- 
ceeded by oval furrowed fruit like that of the for- 
mer fort. This is called in the Weft-Indies, Couhage, 
or Cowitch Cherry. 
The fifth fort grows naturally at Carthagena in New 
Spain, from whence the late Dr. Houftoun fent me 
the feeds. This rifes with a fhrubby ftaik about ten 
feet high, covered with a light brown fpotted bark, 
branching out regularly at the top on every fide ; the 
leaves are oval, fmooth, and end in acute points. 
Handing oppofite, of a light green on the upper fide, 
but paler on the under. The flowers come out from 
the fide of the ftalks in fmall umbels, Handing erect ^ 
the foot-ftalks of the umbels are fcarce an inch long.. 
They are bf a pale bluffi colour, fiiaped like thofe of 
the former forts ; thefe are fucceeded by roundifli 
furrowed berries with a red fkiix, covering three hard 
angular feeds. 
The fixth fort grows naturally in Jamaica, from, 
whence the late Dr. Houftoun fent the feeds to Eng- 
land. This rifes with feveral (lender fhrubby ftalks 
from five to fix feet high, garnifhed with oblong 
heart-fhaped leaves, four inches long and one inch 
and a quarter broad at the bafe, where they are round- 
ed in two heart-fhaped lobes, gradually diminifhing 
to the point they are fmooth, and of a pale yellowiih 
green, placed oppofite. The flowers are produced 
in loofe panicles from the fide and at the end of the 
branches ; they are of a light purple colour, (gaged 
like thofe of the other fpecies, but fmaller ; the fruit 
is more pointed, and not fo much furrowed. 
The feventh fort was fent me from the ifland Barbu- 
da : this rifes with a fhrubby ft aik feven or eight feet 
high, covered with a bright purplifh bark which is 
fpotted and furrowed, dividing coward the top into 
feveral 
