BECANDRIA. 
89 
N° of 
Species in 
H° Genera. Growth. 
Species; Native of 
‘ Britain. 
29 Melastoma 
s 
15 
America, Malabar 
SO Melia* 
t 
2 
Syria, Spain, Ceylon 
SI Monotropa 
h 
2 
Canada 
Brit. 1 
32 Murray a 
s 
1 
E; Indies 
33 Myrospermum 
h 
1 
34 Petaloma 
1 
8a Prosopis 
t 
1 
India 
36 Pyrola 
h 
6 
Europe 
Brit. 3 
37 Quassiaf 
s 
2 
Surinam 
38 Quisqualis 
s 
1 
India 
89 Ruta 
s 
5 
Batavia, Europe 
40 Swieteniaj 
t 
1 
America 
41 Thryallis 
§ 
1 
Brasil 
42 Tribulus§ 
h 
4 
Jamaica, France 
43 Trichilia 
s • 
3 
Jamaica 
44 Turrsea 
s 
1 
E. Indies 
45 Zigophilhim, 
s& h 
11 
Syria, &e. 
* The melia azedarack is greatly esteemed in Ceylon: it is an admirable sue- 
iedanium for the cinchona officinalis, and its leaves are very obnoxious to moths 
and other insects. 
f Quassia is said properly to belong to dioecia decandria ; especially as to some 
of the species; as the quassia simarouba is of two houses. It is said that the root of 
quassia is more certain than the bark in the cure of intermittents, as it will stop 
Vomittihg, and stay on the stomach when the bark will not; the dose is a dram* 
Cither with or without Virginia snake root . Quassia polygama is mentioned as a 
species to quassia in the ‘‘ Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh/’ voL 3>, 
though it is not in the Sys. Veg. and is also of two houses. It is a native of Jamaica 
and other western islands, and grows to a very large tree, above 100 feet in hight* 
and 10 or more feet in circumference. It is called bitter uwod , or bitter ash , as both 
bark and wood are intensely bitter, but especially the wood. It is also given in 
fevers and agues, either alonC or with the bark, the dose is from 15 grains to a 
dram. The bark of this tree hath for some time been exported to England in con* 
siderable quantities for the purposes of the brewers of ale and porter; and is said 
to be sold in London for the quassia amara , and answers all the same purposes : 
but the stem of the quassia amara never exceeds two inches in diameter, and is 
very scarce and dear. Linnaeus says it received its name from a slave called Quassi, 
who first discovered its virtues. 
X The genus swietenia is very similar to cpdrela . 
§This seems to be the same plant mentioned by Virgil, under the name of iri- 
lulus . It is called in English caltrops , from the form of the fruit resembling those 
instruments of war, strewed in the enemies’ way to annoy their horses. It is a 
troublesome weed amongst the corn in some parts of France and Spain, annoying 
the feet of the cattle with its strong prickles. The species is tribulus ierrestris . 
