H Y M 
fucceed, though a paffage of four inches was perforated 
before the end was obtained. 
HYMENdi'A, f. [from Hymen, the god of marriage.] 
Locust-tree ; in botany, a genus of the clafs decandria, 
order monogynia, natural order of lomentacese, (legumi- 
nofije, JuJf .) The generic-characters are—Calyx: perian- 
thium one-leafed, coriaceous ; tube fliort, turbinate, com- 
preffed, permanent, with an oblique mouth; limb five- 
parted,almoft regular, upright, deciduous; fegments ovate, 
blunt} two oppofite flattilh, a little broader; two others 
concave, with one fide narrower. Corolla : five-petalled, 
inferted into the neck of the calyx, fubpapilionaceous, 
with the petals almoft equal. Banner, the two uppenuoft 
petals, obliquely ovate, obtufe, feflile, at the upper con¬ 
cave fegment of the calyx. Wings, two petals, fitrtilar, 
lateral, a little narrower. Keel, the loweft petal, chan¬ 
nelled and excavated, approximating to the wings, within 
the lower hollow fegment of the calyx. Stamina: fila¬ 
ments ten, diftinft, awd-lhaped, ereft, bent down above 
the middle, very long, between the keel and the wings, 
inferted into the neck of the calyx ; anthers linear, fixed 
by the back. Piftillum: germ fabre-lhaped, comprefied, 
pedicelled ; ftyle very long, briftle-lhaped, bent down; 
ftigma thickened,-obliquely truncate. Pericafpium : le¬ 
gume v/oody, very large, ovate-oblong, obtule, one-celled, 
filled with farinaceous pulp. Seeds: feveral, (four to 
eight, large,) ovate, wrapped up in pollen and fibres.— 
Ejjential CharaEler .. Calyx five-parted ; petals five, almoft 
equal; ftyle twifted inwards ; legume filled with farina¬ 
ceous pulp. 
Hymentea courbaril, the locuft-tree: a fingle fpe- 
cies. Plumier calls it Courbaril; Marcgrave, Jetaiba. 
It is a very large fpreading tree in the Weft Indies, 
where it grows in great plenty j having a large 'Item, co¬ 
vered with a ruflet bark, which divides into many fpread¬ 
ing branches, garni (hed with fmooth ftilf leaves, Handing 
by pairs, their bafe joining at the foot-ftalk, to which 
they ftand oblique, one fide being much broader than the 
other, the two outer fides being rounded, and their infide 
ftraight, fo that they refemble a pair of Iheep.-thears ; they 
are pointed at the ton, and ftand alternately on the llalk. 
The flowers are produced in loofe fpikes at the end of the 
branches,, fome of the fliort ligneous foot-ftalks fupport- 
ing two, and others three, flowers, which are compofed 
of five yellow petals ftriped with purple; the petals are 
lhort and fpread open; the ftamina are much longer, and 
of a purplifh colour ; thefe flowers are fucceeded by thick 
fieftiy brown pods, fliaped like tliofe of the garden-bean ; 
they are fix inches long, and two inches and a half broad, 
of a purplifh-brown colour, and a ligneous confiftence, 
with a large future on both edges; they contain three or 
four roundifti comprefled feeds, divided by tranfverfe par¬ 
titions, and incloled in a whitifh fubftance cff fine fila¬ 
ments, as fweet as honey. The Indians eat this fubftance 
with great avidity, though it is apt to purge when frefti 
gathered : but it lofes this quality as it grows old. Be¬ 
tween the principal roots of the tree exudes a fine tranl- 
parent refin, yellowilh or red, which is collefted in large 
lumps, is called gum anime, and makes the fineft varnilh 
that is known, fuperior even to the Chinele lacca : for this 
latter ufe it is difiolved in the higheft-reftified fpirit of 
vs'ine. It burns readily, and with a clear flame, emitting 
a grateful and fragrant fmell; for which reafon it is fome- 
times ordered by way of fumigation in the chambers of 
perfons labouring with afthmas or fuffocative catarrhs. 
Its vapours not only ftrengthen the head, but all parts of 
the body affected with cold. Some apply it outwardly, 
diffolyed in oil or fpirits of wine, to ftrengthen the nerves. 
An oil may be diftilled from it, prevalent in palfies, cramps, 
and contradlions of the finews. The folution in fpirits 
has been thought not inferior to guaiacum in venereal 
cafes. A deco&ion of the leaves expels flatulencies, and 
gives eafe in cholicky pains, by gently Opening the bowels ; 
and the inward bark is an excellent vermifuge in fubftance 
or decoftion. Wild bees are fond of building their nefts 
Vol. X. No. 6 9 z. 
H Y M 037 
in this this tree, which grows to a ccnfiderable fize, and 
is looked upon as excellent: timber; but it muft be very 
old before it is cut, othervvife the heart will be but: fmall. 
It is in great requeft for wheel-work in the fugar-mills, 
particularly for cogs to the wheels, being extremely hard 
and tough ; it is fo heavy, that a foot cube weighs about a 
hundred pounds, and it will take a fine polifliNative of 
the Weft-Indian iflands, and the continent of America. 
It is eafily railed from the feeds if they are frefh ; thefe 
muft be (own in pots, and plunged into a hot-bed of tan¬ 
ners’ bark ; there fliould be but one feed put into each 
pot, or, it there be more, when the plants appear they 
fliould be all drawn out to one foon after they come up, 
before their roots entangle, when it will be hazardous 
doing it; for, if great care be not taken, the plant in¬ 
tended to be left may be drawn out with the other. As 
the roots of this plant are but. (lender, fo they are very 
difficult to tranfpiant; for, unlefs a ball of earth is pre- 
ferved to their roots, they feldom furvive their removal, 
therefore they muft be feldom tranfplanted from one pot 
to another. The plants muft conftantly remain in the tan- 
bed in the ftove, and fliould be treated the fame way with 
other tender plants of the fame country, giving but little 
water to them, efpecially in the winter. When thefe 
plants firft appear, they make conlklerable progrefs for 
two or three months, after which time they are at a ftand 
perhaps a whole year without fhobting, being in their 
growth very like the anacardium, or calhew-nyt, and very 
difficult to preferve long in this country. 
HYMENE'AL, or Hymene'an, f. [v^ivtCM, Gr.] A 
marriage fong.—And heav’niy choirs hymenean lung. Milton. 
For her the fpoufe prepares the bridal ring; 
For her white virgins hymeneals fing. Pope. 
HYMENE'AL, or Hymene'an, adj. Pertaining to mar¬ 
riage : 
The fuitors heard, and deem’d the mirthful voice 
A fignal of her hymeneal choice. Pope. 
HYMENE'US, a man’s name. 
HYMENOPAP'PUS, f. in botany, a genus of the clafs 
fyngenelia, order sequalis.—Eflential generic character, Re¬ 
ceptacle naked; feeds crowned with many chaffy leaves i 
calyx many-leaved, fpreading. 
Hymenopappus icabiofieus : a fingle fpecies. Stem an¬ 
gular, a little woolly; leaves doubly pinnatifid, with lan¬ 
ceolate fegments, downy underneath ; corymb terminal ; 
flowers highly odorous. Inhabits Carolina. 
HYMENOPHYL'LUM. See Trichomanes, 
HYMENOP'TERA, f. [from Gr. membrane, and 
'smgoF, wing.] An order of infects, having four membra¬ 
naceous wings, and the tails of the females are furniflied 
with flings, which in fome are ufed for inltilling poifon, 
and in others for merely piercing the bark and leaves of 
trees, and the bodies of other animals, in which they de- 
pofit their eggs. See the article Entomology, vol. vi„ 
P- 833. 
HYMET'TUS, in ancient geography, a mountain of 
Attica, about twenty-two miles in circumference, and 
about two miles from Athens, Hill famous for its bees and 
excellent honey. There was alfo a quarry of marble there. 
Jupiter had there a temple; whence he is called Hymettius. 
HYMN ,f \_hymne,Yr.vp>o;, Gr.] An encomiaftic fong s 
or fong of adoration to fome fuperior being : 
Farewell, ye happy (hades. 
Where angels firft (hould practice hymns, and firing 
Their tuneful harps, when they to heav’n would dug. Dryd. 
To HYMN, v. a. \-vpnu, Gr.] To praife in fong ; to 
worfhip with hymns: 
Whofe bufmefs were to ferve the Lord 
High up in heav’n, with fongs to hymn his throne. Milton% 
To HYMN, v. n. To fing fongs offidoration : 
They touch’d their golden harps, and hymning prais’d 
God and his works, " Milton. 
? Z HYM'NIC, 
