230 FLORA VITIENSIS. 
Peru, where the Indians call it ‘ Masato.’ Antonio Rajmondy, in his ‘ Apuntes sobre la Srey litoral de 
Loreto ’ (Lima, 1862, p. 132), gives a circumstantial account of it which, a) its eee, luportanee, 
ought to be compared with the description of the preparation of kava furnished by Dr. Seemann in his 
‘Viti’? (London, 1862), p. 327: *“In order to get an idea of the way in y hich this beverage (masato ) is pre. 
pared,’ says Raimondy, ‘“ it is necessary to enter for a moment one of the preat houses of the heathens 
of Ucayali on the eve of a great festival. On one side are seen several half-naked women seated on the floor 
around a heap of yueas, and occupied in peeling the skin off them. On the other side is a woman busy in 
putting the cleaned roots in ahuge pot. After this has been done, a small quantity of water 1s put im the pot, 
the yueas are covered aver with leaves, and then boiled. When boiled, they are mashed. . . : Auvaneed to this 
state, the most important, and at the same time most disgusting operation is proceeded with. The women, 
and in some instances the men also, sit down once more in a circle around the mashed yueas, taking large 
handfuls of it in their mouths, which they chew without swallowing until completely saturated with saliva 
and almost become liquid. In this state the filthy mass is spit out, and the operation repeated until the 
required quantity is prepared. After this a small portion of mashed yuca is mixed and kneaded with the 
chewed mass and then put into the pots, which are covered up till fermentation sets in. The saliva contained 
im the mashed yuca produces fermentation, changes the starch into sugar, and the sugar into aleohol—a 
process which, according to the state of the temperature and the existing quantity of saliva, takes place in 
two, three, or four days, This fermented mass accompanies the Indians on all their journeys. When wish- 
ing to prepare from it their disgusting beverage, it is dissolyed with a little water.” ’” 
XV. Jatropha, Linn, Gen, Plant. ed. i. p. 258; Mull. Arg, in DC. lc. p. 1076. Calyx 
utriusque sexus imbricativus, Petala utriusque sexus cum laciniis calycis alternantia, evoluta aut 
suppressa. Disci glandulze laciniis calycis opposites, cum petalis aut earum loco vacuo alternantes, 
Stamina centralia, exteriora petalis aut corum loco vacuo opposita; antherse 2-rimosee ; loculi inferne 
liberi, paulo infra medium inserti. Rudimentum ovarii 0, Ovarii loculi 1-ovulati, 1 posticus, 
Fructus capsularis. Semina carunculata. Cotyledones complanats, late, palmatinervie; radicula 
brevis.—Plante frntescentes, partibus preter canlem plus minusye herbacez vy. omnino herbace, 
grandes, rarius arborescentes. Folia alterna, 2-stipulata, vulgo Jonge petiolata, integra vy. lobata, 
margine ceeterum integra v. dentata, palmatineryia, membranacea. Flores szepissime monoici, valgo 
eorymboso-paniculati ; paniculee 2-sexuales, dichotome ramos, in dichotomiis flores ? proferentes, 
—Curcas, Adans. Loureiria, Cav. 
1, J. Curcas, Linn. Sp. Platt, ed. i. p. 1006; Jacq. Hort. Vind. vol, iii. p. 36. t. 63; Mill. 
Arg. in DC. 1. ¢. p. 1080; cymis longe pedunculatis subalternatim brevirameis compacto-multifloris ; 
bracteis lanceolatis majusculis; calycis g laciniis ovatis obtusis, 9 lanceolatis acuminatis; petalis 
lanceolato-ellipticis calyeem ¢ bis xquantibus usque ad medium colreutibus intus lanatis, fila- 
mentis exterioribus fere omnino liberis ; ovario glabro sensim in columnam stylarem brevem stigma- 
tibus multo breviorem abeunte ; stigmatibus 2-fidis ; capsula carnosa magna,—Curcas purgans, Med, 
Ind, Plant. Hort. Manhem. vol. i. p. 90, C. Indica, A, Rich, in Sagra, Hist. Cub. vol, iii. p. 205. 
Castiglonia lobata, Ruiz et Pay. Prodr, p. 139. t.37.—Nomen vernac. Vitiense, “* Uto ni papalagi.” 
—Lakeba and Ovalau (Seemann ! n, 400) 
. 
The Physie-nut plant was introduced from the Tongan Islands, and is now extensively used for living 
fences, ‘The oleacéous medicinal properties of the seeds have not as yet been turned to account by the 
natives, J 
XVI. Codizeum, Rumph. Amb, vol. iv. p. 68. t. 25-27 ; Mill. Arg. in DC. Prodr, vol. sv. p. 1116. 
Calyx utriusque sexus imbricatiyus, Petala cum laciniis calycis et cum glandulis disci extrastamu- 
nalis aliernantia (utriusque sexus evoluta aut florem 2 rudimentaria aut omnino suppressa), Stamina 
in receptaculo eleyato inserta, centralia; antheree 2-rimosee, Rudimentum oyarii 0, Ovarii loculi 
l-ovulati, cum laciniis calycis interioribus (si calyx 5-merus) alternantes. Fructus capsularis, 
Semina carunculata,—Arbores y. frutices. Folia opposita y. sepius alterna, pennineryia, integra. 

