EUGENIA CARYOPHYLLATA, OR CARYOPHYLLUS AROMATICUS, 
THE CLOVE SPICE TREE. 
Class XII. ICOSANDRIA.— Order I. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order, MYETACEA THE MYRTLE TRIBE. 
Fig. (a) the fruit. Fig. (6) a section of the fruit. 
The Clove-tree is originally a native of the Moluccas ; and the well-known spice was for a long period 
the staple commodity of Amboyna, one of the principal of these islands. The lucrative trade arising 
from this valuable article of medicine, or of luxury, was entirely, and still is principally, in the hands of 
the Dutch, who guard their monopoly with the most illiberal jealousy. Cloves are only produced in 
perfection in Amboyna, and the neighbouring islands ; but to prevent smuggling, and to make their 
command of the market more secure, they have been at the utmost pains to extirpate the clove-trees 
from all the other islands, and to confine the culture of them to Amboyna alone. Notwithstanding, 
however, the vigilance of the Dutch to secure to themselves a monopoly in this valuable spice, the French 
obtained some plants, which they carried to the Isle of Bourbon, about the year 1^0, and thence to 
Cayenne, from whence its cultivation has extended to the West Indies. The clove was introduced into 
the Royal Gardens at Kew, in 1797, by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Banks. 
The clove-spice is produced on a very handsome tree, somewhat resembling a large pear-tree. The 
trunk is from fifteen to thirty feet high, a foot thick, divided into branches, four or five feet from the 
ground, which are slender, opposite, usually horizontal, and form a dense, pyramidal head. The leaves 
are opposite, persistent, somewhat coriaceous, about four inches long, with a strong mid-rib, and parallel 
lateral nerves ; ovate-lanceolate, quite entire, smooth on both sides, reddish and rather shining above, paler 
underneath, sprinkled with minute resinous dots, and tapering at the base into a slender foot-stalk, nearly 
two inches long, which according to Sonnerat is the most aromatic part of the plant. The flowers are 
odorous, from nine to fifteen or more on a branch, in short terminal panicles, trichotomously divided, 
and jointed at every division, The calyx, which is superior, consists of four ovate, concave, spreading 
segments, at first green, but afterwards becoming red. The petals are four, ovate, concave, yellowish- 
red, larger than the calyx, coherent by their edges, and forming a calyptra which is caducous. In the 
centre of the calyx, and occupying the top of the germen, is a quadrangular elevated line, into which the 
stamens are inserted, surrounding the base of the shortish obtusely subulate style. The filaments are 
numerous, much longer than the petals, bearing small yellow ovate-cordate anthers. The germen is 
inferior, oblong, 2-celled, with' twenty ovules in each cell; all of which, as stated by Professor Hooker, 
become abortive, or one or two prove fertile, and by their great enlargement destroy the rest of the 
ovules, and obliterate the distinction of the two cells ; so that the fruit, which forms a rather large ellip- 
tical purple berry, is only 1 or at most 2-ceeded. 
The Clove-tree, as we have before observed, is a native of the Molucca Islands ; and a short time 
before the Portuguese took possession of Amboyna, the Cerammers of Camballo secretly carried some 
seeds in hollow bamboos from Machian, and thus propagated this valuable tree all over Amboyna, Ceram, 
and the neighbouring islands ; and in the space of from fifty to sixty years, the whole of Hoewamoehil 
was covered with them. This was made known to the Dutch when they first went to Cambello ; and 
some of the first-planted trees were shown to them behind the hill Massili : the memory of it is likewise 
preserved in the traditionary songs of the Amboynese. The brave and enterprising inhabitants of Cam- 
bello were rewarded for their candour, by the destruction of all their clove-trees; whereby they were de- 
prived of the fruits of their industrious exertions. The implacable enmity which they in consequence 
entertained for the Dutch, and their repeated attacks upon the forts, established by the latter, have been 
stigmatized by Dutch writers as a base and wicked spirit of disobedience ; so that Valentyn says, “ It 
would have been better, if, instead of extirpating their trees alone, we had, at the same time, exterminated 
this revengeful and sanguinary nation.” 
The Clove is now cultivated wherever human industry has carried it to a suitable soil and climate ; 
and numerous other countries besides Amboyna possess this precious vegetable. The French introduced 
it into the Islands of Mauritius and Bourbon, in 1769 ; and it has succeeded so well, that in 1802, when 
M. Bory de St. Vincent was in the Mauritius, he visited the first tree that had been planted by M. 
Poivre ; saw it loaded with Cloves ; and ascertained that it had, in some years, produced the extraordinary 
