Am.  Jour  Pharm. ) 
Jnly,  1882.  j 
The  Useful  American  Myrtles. 
349 
bach,  grows  in  mountainous  regions  from  Jamaica  southward  to  Gui- 
ana ;  its  rigid  variable  leaves  are  of  a  strong  balsamic  flavor,  and  are 
employed  both  externally  and  internally.  The  variety  cuneata,  s.  Eug. 
emarginata,  Macjillan,  is  known  as  zebra  wood. 
The  odor  of  the  flowers  of  Eugenia  (Myrtus,  Swartz)  virgultosa,  De 
Cand.,  indigenous  to  Cuba  and  Jamaica,  resembles  that  of  rhubarb. 
Eugenia  (Myrtus,  Swartz)  disticha,  De  Cand.,  is  known  in  Jamaica 
as  wild  coffee,  because  the  red  ovoid  berries,  which  are  about  J  inch 
long,  resemble  the  fruit  of  cofPee  and  the  fresh  seeds  have  a  similar 
taste. 
Eugenia  (Myrtus,  Swartz)  Gregii,  DeCand.,  has  oblong  or  roundish- 
obovate  berries  of  a  leathery  texture  and  a  strongly  acrid-aromatic 
flavor.  Acrid  aromatic  properties  are  likewise  found  in  the  root  and 
seeds  of  Eugenia  (Myrtus,  Sprengel)  angustifolia,  J  jam..,  which  grows 
in  San  Domingo. 
The  yellow  depressed-globose  berries  of  the  Brazilian  Eugenia 
{Myrtus,  Martins)  dysenterica,  DeCand.,  are  of  an  agreeable  acidulous 
taste,  but  are  apt  to  produce  diarrhoea.  The  red  or  yellow  berries  of 
the  West  Indian  Eugenia  floribunda.  West,  are  sweet  and  acidulous, 
are  eaten  raw  and  cooked,  and  on  fermentation  yield  a  pleasant  vinous 
beverage.  Eatable  berries  are  also  produced  by  several  other  West 
Indian  species  of  Eugenia,  the  most  important  of  which  appear  to  be 
Eugenia  (Myrtus,  Swartz)  ligustrina,  Willd.,  s.  Myrtus  cerasina,  Vahl, 
with  a  black  two-seeded  fruit  called  pitangueira  do  mato  in  Brazil ; 
Eugenia  (Myrtus,  Swartz)  lineata,  De  Cand.,  with  a  scarlet-red  cherry- 
like but  several-seeded  fruit ;  and  Eugenia  uuiflora,  Lin.,  s.  Eug. 
Michelii,  with  a  red-furrowed  one-seeded  fruit,  which  is  known  in 
some  parts  as  Cayenne  cherry  and  in  Brazil  as  pitangueira ;  the  last 
named  species  is  also  distributed  over  a  considerable  portion  af  tropical 
South  America,  and  has  been  naturalized  in  the  East  Indies.  In  like 
manner  are  also  used  the  violet-purplish  plum-sized  berries  of  the 
Brazilian  Eugenia  (Myrtus,  Martins)  cauliflora,  De  Cand.,  known  as 
jabuticaba. 
One  of  the  myrtles  of  tropical  America  has  been  introduced  into 
and  naturalized  in  most  other  tropical  countries,  where  it  is  highly 
valued  on  account  of  its  fruit,  which  resembles  a  medium-sized  pear, 
with  a  downy,  veined,  brittle  and  thin  rind,  and  containing  a  whitish, 
yellowish  or  reddish  pulp,  of  a  very  agreeable  sweet,  acidulous  and 
aromatic  flavor.    The  fruit  is  known  as  bay  plum,  guava  or  gaayava, 
