C L U S I A F L A V A.
Yellow-flow ere cl Balfam-Tree.
C L A S S XXIII. ORDER I.
POLYGAMIA MONOECIA. Various difpofitiona. Upon , l e plant.
G E N E R I C C H A R A C T E R.
CALYX. P e r i a n t M u m i m b r i c a t u m ; foliolis concavis,
perfiftentibUï, e x t e r i o r i b u s g r a d a t im
mi n o r i b u s .
C O H O L L A . Pétala 4, 5, 6, f u b r o t u n d a concava,
e r a l f a , c o c h l e a t a.
S T A M I N A . F i l a m e n t s plura, fimplicia, corolla
b r e v i o r a . Antfaene fimplices, apicis latcri
a d n a t a : .
P I S T I L L U M . Germen o v a t o - o b l o n g u m . Stylus
n u l l u s . Sligma s t e l l a t u m , p l a n u m , o b t u -
fum, perfiftens,
P E K H A B I M U M . Capfula ovata, fulcis excrata,
l o c u l a r i s , val v i s t u r n r a d i a t im d c h i f c e n l i b u s.
S E M I N A n u m e r o f a , ovata, p a l p a o b t e c t a , affixa
r e c e p t á c u l o c o l u m n a r i , angulofo.
Oís. N u m e r a l in p a r t e f r u c l u s dtffert a q u a t
u o r ad d u o d e c im p r o p o r t i o n e obfervata in
l l i g m a t e , v a l v u l i s , loculis, flte. Flotes alii a
p a r t e m a f c u l i n a , a l i i a f e m i n i u a ficriles finit.
E M P A L E M E N T . Cup t i l e d ; leaflets concave, r e m
a i n i n g , t h e o u t e r ones g r a d u a l l y fmaller.
B L O S S O M . Petals 4, 5, 6, r o u n d i l b , concave,
t h i c k and H u l l - l i k e.
C H I V E S . Threads many, fimple, fhorter than
t h e blollbm. Tips fimple, g r o w i n g to the
f i d e o f t h e p o i n t.
P O I N T A L . Seed-bud o b l o n g e g g - f h a p e d . Shaft
n o n e . Summit (tarred, flat, obtufe, rem
a i n i n g .
S E E D - V E S S E L . Capfule egg-fhaped, flrougly
f u r r o w e d , celled, t h e valves b u r f i i n g i n t o a
l i a r r e d form.
S E E D S n u m e r o u s , e g g - f l i a p c d , c o v e r e d w i t h p u l p,
fixed lo an a n g u l a r , c o l u m n a r r e c e p t a c l e.
Of-s. T h e n u m b e r i n t h e p a r t s of the fruit
differs from four t o t w e l v e , a c c o r d i n g to the
p r o p o r t i o n obferved in the fummit, valves,
cells, b e . Some of the flowers are llerile
w i t h refpect. to t h e m a l e o r g a n s , a n d others
w i t h refpect to t h e f e m a l e ones.
S P E C I F I C C H A R A C T E R.
C l u f i a foliis a v e n u s ; corollis te t r a p e t a l i s , l u t e i s . Ij Balfam T r e e w i t h veinlefs l e a v e s ; bloflbms w i th
f am -
four f o u r oetals.p e t a l s , and yellow.vellnw
R E F E R E N C E T O T H E P L A T E.
J . A F l o w e r c o m p l e t e.
2. A p e t a l l b e w n from t h e infide.
3 . A petal fin w u t i d e w a y s.
4 . T h e Pointal a n d C h i v e s , one C h i v e d e t a c h e d , magnified
.5. T h e Pointal c l e a r e d of t h e C h i v e s , t h e S e e d - b u d a n d S u m m i t d e t a c h e d a n d magnified.
T H E Balfam T r e e is a n a t i v e of all t h e W e l l India I l l a n d s , and has been d e f c r i b i d by P l u m i e r , Sloan,
l a e q u i n , Browne. Sec; but no good figure of t h e p l a n t , a c c o r d i n g w i t h o n r ideas, has h i t h e r t o been
"given of it. The C . rofea, C. a l b a , a n d C . flava of J a c q u i n , the t h r e e various fpecies, are faid to g r ow
t o d i f f e r e n t h e i g h t s , in t h e d i f f e r e n t I f l a n d s ; w h i c h w e a r e led to t h i n k , are b u t v a r i e t i e s of t h e fame
p l a n t . Linntfius has t a k e n t h em u p as fpecies, upon his a u t h o r i t y ; a l t h o u g h J a c q u i n himfelf allows,
t h a t t h e o n e h e d e n o m i n a t e s j!apm, varies i n i t s blolfoms t o r e d a n d w h i t e . This p l a n t does not g r ow
t o a b o v e t h e h e i g h t of e i g h t or n i n e feet, in t h i s c o u n t r y , and feldom flowers. Our figure was t a k en
laft v e a r i n S e p t e m b e r 1 8 0 1 , f r om a p l a n t i n t h e S t e p n e y C o l l e c t i o n . Miller fays i t w a s c u l t i v a t e d by
h i m ' i n 17595 and h a d been i n t r o d u c e d by M r , P a r k e r , of C r o y d o n , in S u r r e y , from Barbadoes. It is
r e a d i l v p r o p a g a t e d f r om c u t t i n g s , and t h r i v e s in rich, d u n g y e a r t h . A flight miftake occurs, in t he
q u o t a t i o n from Browne, in M a r t y n ' s E d i t i o n of the D i f t i o n a r y ; w h e r e , the petals arc defcribed as
f c r e w - t h a p e d ; Browne has it, " coch/fatu," or fhell-fliaped, a m o i l e x p r e f l i v e t e rm for t h e i h a p e of
t h e s e p e t a l s.