214 M A L P I 
Mr. Miller defcribes his wens as having a ftem from fif¬ 
teen 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 inch broad at the bafe, where they are 
rounded in form of a heart, leflening gradually to a point; 
covered on the under fide with flinging branches, which, 
when fattened into the flefh, are difficult to get out again. 
The flowers are produced in umbels from the fide of the 
branches; they are of a light purple colour. He had the 
feeds from Jamaica, by Houftoun, and therefore mutt have 
cultivated it before 1733. 
7. Malpighia anguftifolia, or narrow-leaved Barbadoes 
cherry : leaves linear-lanceolate, with rigid decumbent 
briftles on both fides; peduncles umbelled. This rifes 
with a fhrubby ftalk feven or eight feet high, covered with 
a bright purpliffi bark, which is fpotted and furrowed, 
dividing towards the top into feveral fmaller branches. 
Leaves numerous, about two inches long, and a quarter 
of an inch broad, acuminate, of a lucid green on their 
upper fide, but of a ruflet brown on their under, where 
they are clofely armed with flinging bridles. Flowers 
from the fide and at the end of the branches in fmall um¬ 
bels, Anal], and of a pale purple colour. Fruit final], 
oval, furrowed, dark purple when ripe. Native of the 
Weft Indies; Jacquin faw it flowering in June, in the 
ifiand of St. Martin. Mr. Miller had it from the ifland of 
Barbuda; he cultivated it in 1753. 
8. Malpighia craffifolia, or thick-leaved Barbadoes 
cherry: leaves ovate, quite entire, tomentofe underneath ; 
racemes terminating. This is a tree, with leaves a hand 
in length, thick, quite entire, pubefeent above, tomen¬ 
tofe underneath. Browne calls it “the larger locus-berry 
tree,” and fays that the upper branches terminate in loofe 
bunches of flowers, each of the divifions being Ample, as 
well as the top of the main fupporter, which terminates 
alfo in a Angle fpike. The glands of the calyx are re¬ 
markably diftinft in this fpecies, which feems to have all 
the habit and appearance of Cominia. Native of the Weft- 
India Blands and Guiana. 
9. Malpighia coriacea, or leathery Barbadoes cherry : 
leaves ovate, acute, entire, finooth on both fides; racemes 
terminating, fpiked. This tree rifes frequently to the 
height of thirty or forty feet, or more. The leaves, while 
young, are covered on both fides with down, but this falls 
off gradually, and they appear pretty finooth and fliining 
after a ffiort time. There is a remarkable ftipula at the 
axil of every leaf, which, with its oppofite, feems to em¬ 
brace the ftalk. Two of the (eeds are generally abortive 
in the berry. Native of Jamaica, where it is common in 
the lower hills of Liguanea. Browne calls it the locus- 
berry tree. 
10. Malpighia canefcens, or downy-leaved Barbadoes 
cherry: leaves oblong, blunt, pubefeent; racemes axil¬ 
lary, compound. Native of the Weft Indies. Cultivated 
before 174-2, by Robert James lord Petre. 
Is this the incana of Miller, N° 3 ? He defcribes it as 
rifing with a ftrong woody ftalk eighteen or twenty feet 
high, dividing into many branches, covered with a brown 
fpotted bark; leaves lanceolate, hoary on their under 
fide; flowers in axillary umbels, of a rofe-colour; fruit 
oval, channelled. He had it from Mr. Robert Millar, 
who found it at Campeachy. 
xi. Malpighia verbafeifolia, or mullein-leaved Barba¬ 
does cherry: leaves lanceolate-ovate, tomentofe, quite en¬ 
tire; racemes terminating. Leaves ending in the petioles, 
a foot long, villofe, clothed underneath with a very clofe 
nap. Native of South America. 
12. Malpighia aquifolia, or holly-leaved Barbadoes 
cherry : leaves lanceolate, tooth-fpiny, hifpid underneath. 
This rifes with a ffirubby ftalk to the height of feven or 
eight feet, fending out branches the whole length, which 
are covered with a grey bark. Leaves narrow, prickly, 
like thofe of holly, and having many Hinging briftles on 
their under fide. The flowers are produced in final! cluf- 
G H I A. 
ters from the fide of the branches, fmall, and of a pale 
bluffi-colour. The fruit is more pointed than the com¬ 
mon fort, and turns to a dark purple colour when ripe. 
Dr. Houfton found it in plenty in the ifland of Cuba. 
The above is what Miller names M. lucida, the deferip- 
tion of which, according to Reichard, belongs to Lin¬ 
naeus’s M. aquifolia. Miller defcribes M. ilicifolia as 
having a ftrong woody ftem, from fifteen to twenty feet 
high, dividing into many fpreading branches, covered 
with a grey bark. Leaves oblong-ovate, of a firm con¬ 
fidence, about an inch long, and half an inch broad, 
rounded at their ends, of a lucid green. The flowers 
come out from the fide, and alfo at the end of the branches, 
upon pretty long peduncles, which branch in form of a 
raceme or lot|g bunch. They vary in colour, fome being 
of a bright red, others orange, in the fame bunch. Ber¬ 
ries fmall, oval, lefs furrowed, when ripe dark purple. 
Sent from the ifland of Barbuda. 
13. Malpighia coccigera : leaves fubovate, tooth-fpiny. 
This is a very low ffirub, feldom rifing more than two or 
three feet high. Stalk thick and woody, as are alfo the 
branches, which come out on every fide from the root 
upwards, and are covered with a rough bark. Leaves 
lucid, half an inch long, and almoft as much broad, ap¬ 
pearing as if cut at their ends, where they are hollowed 
in, and. the two corners rife like horns, ending in a fliarp 
thorn, as do alfo the indentures on the fides. The flowers 
come out from the fide of the branches, upon peduncles 
an inch long, each fuftaining one fmall pale-bluffi flower. 
Fruit fmall, conical, furrowed, changing to a purple red 
colour when ripe. 
New Species from Jacquin. 14. Malpighia Martinicenfis, 
or Martinico cherry : leaves ovate, with decumbent rigid 
briftles underneath. This fmall tree agrees fo perfectly 
in habit with M. glabra, that it is diftinguifhed from it 
only by the briftles on the leaves, and the lefs-pleafant 
flavour of the fruit; and therefore is diftinft from M. urens 
in the leaves only. This, however, is by much the mod 
prurient, of all the fpecies. All the forts of Malpighia 
have eatable fruits, but glabra and tirens only are in com¬ 
mon ufe. The latter is infipid, and eaten only raw by 
children and favages: the former is much eaten boiled 
with fugar, but is generally neglefted raw. Jacquin, how¬ 
ever, and two companions, being very thirfty with tra¬ 
velling in the heat in Martinico, took a large quantity of 
thefe berries without fuffering from them in any degree. 
15. Malpighia diphylla,or two-leaved Barbadoes cherry: 
leaves oval, fmooth; racemes terminating. This is an 
upright ffirub, eight feet high, with yellow flowers and 
red berries. Found near Carthagena. 
16. Malpighia odorata, or fweet Barbadoes cherry: 
leaves ovate, emarginate, tomentofe on both fides ; racemes 
axillary. This alfo is an upright ffirub, eight feet high. 
Leaves blunt, three inches long. Flowers fweet, fuelling- 
like thofe of yellow lupine: petals yellow. Berries orange- 
coloured. This fort alfo grows near Carthagena. 
17. Malpighia grandifolia, or great-leaved Barbadoes 
cherry : leaves lanceolate-oblong ; racemes corymbed, ax¬ 
illary. This is a fmall tree, ten feet high, upright, and 
having a handfome head. Leaves quite entire, a foot 
long; petals yellow. Native of Martinico. 
18. Malpighia altiffima, or tailed: Barbadoes cherry: 
leaves lanceolate, ferruginous underneath, finooth above, 
quite entire ; racemes terminating, upright. This is a tree 
of thirty feet in height and more, with an upright trunk, 
and a pyramidal elegant head. Leaves broad-lanceolate, 
three or four inches long, (harp, petioled. Flowers yel¬ 
low, fweet, in long racemes, not unlike thofe of the horfe- 
cheftnut. Berries yellow, foft, flatted on both (ides, fmaller 
than a cherry, acid, but not pleafant, and therefore left 
chiefly to birds. The wood is white r by the natives called 
bois tan-, the bark being fit for tanning leather. Common 
in Martinico. 
Propagation and Culture. Thefe plants are preferved in 
the gardens of thofe perl'ons who are fo curious in botanical 
ltudie$ 
