ON  THE  ORiam  OP  BAY  RUM. 
293 
de  Thevet."  From  this  article  I  translate  the  following,  bearing 
on  our  subject : 
"  It  comes  from  the  Antilles,  and  principally  from  the  Island 
St.  Vincent,  where  it  is  produced  from  Myrtus  pimentoides, 
Nees  ab  Es.  (Myrcia  pimentoides,  De  C.)  This  tree  completely 
resembles  Myrtus  acris  in  the  leaves,  which  are  oval-obtuse  or 
elliptic,  coriaceous,  strongly  veined,  wholly  covered  with  glan- 
dular dots,  and  in  the  disposition  of  the  flowers  in  trichotomous 
panicles ;  but  it  differs  in  the  fruit,  which  in  the  former  is  oval. 
After  a  full  description  of  the  fruit,  the  author  continues  ; 
"  I  believe  that  it  is  the  latter  species,  Myrtus  pimentoides,  which 
has  been  described  by  Plukenet  under  the  name  Caryophyllus 
aromaticus  americanus,  folio  et  fructu  oblongo,  polypyrene, 
acinis  angulosis  uvarum  vinaceis  similibus ;  sweet  bay  barba- 
densis  dicta,  (Phytogr.  tab.  155,  fig.  2.) 
De  Candolle,  however,  gives  in  his  Prodromus  the  following 
description  of 
Myrcia  pimentoides. — Foliis  ovalibus  coriaceis  omnino  opacis 
nitidis,  ramulis  acute  tetragonis  pedicellisque  glabris. 
The  same  author  mentions  24  species  of  Myrcia  growing 
upon  the  West  Indian  islands,  nearly  all  of  which  are  pellucid 
punctate,  and  many  with  acuminate  leaves. 
Lindley,  in  his  Flora  Medica,  remarks  of  Eugenia  (Myrcia) 
acris,  W.,  "It  is  supposed  to  have  been  confouaded  with  Euge- 
nia pimentoides,  in  whose  aromatic  qualities  it  altogether  par- 
ticipates." 
I  have  no  doubt  that  the  leaves  under  consideration  have  been 
derived  from  Myrcia  acris,  which  is  at  least  one  of  the  sources 
of  bay  rum,  the  medicinal  name  of  which  must  consequently  be 
Spiritus  Myrciae.  But  it  is  very  probable  that  various  species 
of  the  same  genus  are  made  use  of  for  the  same  purpose. 
Whether  this  is  really  the  case  must  be  settled  by  well  authen- 
ticated species  bearing  flowers  and  fruit,  procured  from  the 
various  islands  which  furnish  us  with  bay  rum.  Our  importers 
ought  to  take  this  matter  in  hand,  and  cause  to  have  proper 
specimens  sent  to  them.  It  aff'ords  me  great  pleasure  to  men- 
tion that  Mr.  Elias  Durand  has  already  kindly  ofi'ered  to  procure 
some. 
Philada.,  May,  1861. 
