p I p 
P I s 
in acute points *, they are veined and rough, of the 
fame comiftence with Laurel leaves. The fpikes of 
flowers come out from the fide of the branch at the 
joints, oppofite to the leaves j they are not more than 
one inch and a half long, about the thicknefs of a 
fmall quill, and are clofely fet with flowers like the 
other forts. 
The feventh fort was difcovered by the late Dr. Houf- 
toun growing naturally at La Vera Cruz. This hath 
hollow pithy ftalks, which rife twelve or four- 
teen feet high, dividing into many crooked branches 
having fwelling joints, which are garnifhed with 
oval fpear-fhaped leaves, about five inches long and 
three broad, having many veins, and are covered with 
a woolly down. The fpikes of flowers come out from 
the fide of the branches oppofite to the leaves ; they 
are (lender, and about three inches long, turning 
downward. 
The eighth fort grows naturally in Jamaica ■, this hath 
many hollow (talks, which rife about five feet high ; 
the joints are pretty clofe and protuberant ; thefe di- 
vide into fmaller branches, which are garnifhed with 
oval fpear-fhaped leaves, feven inches long and three 
broad in the middle ^ they are rough and veined, the 
veins coming out alternately from the midrib, diverg- 
ing to the fides, and join the borders of the leaf at 
the top. The fpikes of flowers come out from the 
fide of the branches, oppofite to the leaves ; they are 
(lender, five inches long, and are incurved ; thefe are 
clofely fet with fmall flowers their whole length. 
This is called Spanifh Elder in the Weft-Indies. 
The ninth fort was fent me from Carthagena by the 
late Dr. William Houftoun •, this rifes with feveral 
fhrubby ftalks fifteen feet high, dividing into many 
(lender branches with protuberant joints, which are 
garnifhed with heart-fhaped oval leaves, five inches 
long and three broad, ending in acute points ■, they 
are fmooth, and at their bafe have five veins, but the 
two outer join the borders of the leaves foon ; the 
other three run to the top, the middle one in a right 
line •, the two fide veins diverge, and join together at 
the top ; the leaves are of a dark green on their upper 
fide, but pale on their under. The fpikes of flowers 
come out from the fide of the branches ; they are ex- 
tremely {lender, an inch and a half long, and are re- 
flexed at the end like a fcorpion’s tail. 
The tenth fort was fent me by Mr. Robert Millar 
from Panama, near which place it grows naturally. 
This hath hollow fhrubby ftalks which rife about four 
feet high, and divide into many fmall branches, which 
are garnifhed with heart-fhaped leaves about five 
inches long, and four broad near their bafe, ending in 
long acute points ^ thefe have feven veins at their 
bale, but the two outer foon diverge to the borders of 
the leaves, and unite with them the other five are 
extended almoft to the length of the leaves, diverging 
from the midrib toward the fides, and unite toward 
the top. The fpikes come out from the fide of the 
branches ; they are (lender, and about four inches long, 
bending in the middle like a bow, and are clofely let 
with lmall herbaceous flowers, which are fucceeded 
by fmall berries, inclofing a fmall fingle feed. 
The eleventh fort grows naturally in Jamaica ; this 
rifes with a fhrubby pithy (talk about five feet high, 
fending out feveral fide branches which have protu- 
berant joints, and are garnifhed with heart-fhaped 
leaves fix inches long and five broad near their bafe. 
They have live veins which arife from the foot-flalk, 
the middle one going in a diredf line to the point ; the 
two fide veins diverge toward the edges of the leaves 
in the middle, but approach again at the top ; the 
furface of the leaves is full of fmall veins, which 
form a lbrt of net-work. The fpikes come out from 
the fide of the branches oppofite to the leaves •, they 
are {lender, and about five inches long, a little bend- 
ing in the middle, and are clofely fet with very fmall 
herbaceous flowers. 
The twelfth fort grows naturally at Campeachy, from 
whence it was fent me by the late Dr. Houftoun. 
I This hath many fhrubby ftalks which rife about ten- 
feet high, and divide into feveral crooked branches 
toward the top, which have fwelling joints, and are 
garnifhed with oval fpear-fhaped leaves near four 
inches long, and two and a half broad, terminating 
in acute points $, they are fmooth, of a lucid green, 
and have three large veins running longitudinally ; the 
middle or midrib being ftrait, the two outer diverg- 
ing toward the fides in the middle of the leaf, but are 
drawn togetner again at the point. The fpikes come 
out from the fide of the ftalks oppofite to the leaves ; 
they are pretty long, (lender, and a little incurved. 
The flowers and feeds are like the other fpecies. 
I lie thirteen in fort grows naturally at Campeachy % 
this hath a liirubby italk, which rues ten or twelve 
feet high, dividing toward the top into a great num- 
ber of fmall branches, which are hollow, 'and have 
protuberant joints ^ they are garnifhed with fpear- 
fhaped, oval, rough leaves, about five inches long, 
and two inches and a half broad ; feme of them have 
long, and others very fhort foot-ftalks 5 they are of a 
deep green on their upper fide, but pale on their un- 
der, ending in acute points. '1 he fpikes come out 
from the fide of the ftalks, oppofite to the leaves 
they are long and (lender, and are clofely fet with 
very fmall flowers like the other fpecies. 
The eleven laft-mentioned forts are abiding plants, 
which require a warm ftove to preferve them in Eng- 
land. They may be propagated by feeds, if they can 
be procured frefh rrom the countries where the plants 5 
grow naturally ; thefe fhould be fown upon a good 
hot-bed in the fpring, and when the plants come up 
and aie fit to tramplant, they fhould be each put into 
a ieparate fmall pot filled with light frefh earth, and 
plunged into a hot-bed of tanners bark, fhadingthem 
every day from the fun till they have taken frefh 
root ; then tney mule be treated in the fame way as 
other tender exotic plants, admitting frefh air to them 
daily in proportion to the warmth of the feafon, to 
prevent their drawing up weak ; and when the nights 
are cold, the glaffes of the hot-bed fhould be covered 
with mats to keep them warm. As the ftalks of moft 
of thefe plants are tender when young, fo they fhould 
not have much wet, which would rot them ; and when 
water is given to them it rnuft be with caution, not to 
, beat down the plants ■, for when that is done, they 
feldom rife again. 3 
In autumn the plants mu ft be plunged into the tan-bed 
of the baiic-ftove, and during the winter they muftbe 
fparingly watered ; they require the fame warmth as 
the Coffee-tree. In the fumrner they require a large 
fhare of frefh air in hot weather, but they mu ft be 
conftantly kept in the ftove, for they are too tender to 
bear the inclemency of our weather in fumrner. 
P I S L, I D I A. Lin. Gen. 8 56. Pifcipula. Loefl. It. 275. 
The Characters are, 
1 he flower is gj the butterfly kind ; the empalement is ofl 
one leaf , , indented in five parts ; the ftandard is rifling , 
ana indented, at the end\ the wings awe as long as the 
ftandard , the keel is moon-Jbaped and rifling . It hath ten 
ftamina covered with a jheath at bottom , which opens at 
the top ; thefe are terminated by oblong flummits : the pen- 
men is linear and comprejfed , fupporting a narrow rifling 
ftyle crowned oy a pointed ftigma. This becomes a nar- 
row pod, having flour longitudinal borders with one cell , and 
between each ifthmus have one cylindrical feed. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the third fe&ian 
ot Linnasus s feventeenih clafs, mtitled Diadelphia 
Decandria, the flowers having ten ftamina in two 
bodies. 
The Species are, 
i* PisCiDiA ( Eryihi inu ) ioliolis ovatis. Jacq. Amer. 27 
Pifcidia with oval leaves. Coral arbor polvphylla, non 
fpinofa, fraxini folio, fiiiquis alls foliaceis extantibus 
rots molendinaria fluviatilis acuta. Sloan. Hift. 2. 
p. 39. Dogwood-tree. 
2. Piscidia {Cart haginienfis ) folio! is obovatis. Jacq. 
Amer. 27. Pifcidia with oblong oval haves. Phafeoim 
accedens Loral arbor polyphyllos, folks durioribus 
