BOTANY.
In commencing this chapter upon botany, I deem it proper to
mention first the forest trees, confining myself to those
vegetating in Antigua. As, however, it will be necessary to
insert the botanical names, as well as their classifications, and
wishful of throwing as much interest into the subject as
possible, I have, along with my own observations upon these
beauties of the creation, consulted other and more efficient
botanists. It must be remarked, that nearly all the West Indian
trees continue to bud and blossom throughout the year; so that
there is no naked sprays and branches to be seen, as in old
England's woods in winter, but instead, every grove presents an
unchanging canopy of the deepest green.
One of the commonest flowers in Antigua is the Four o'clock,
_mirabilis jalapa,_ or _marvel of Peru,_ so called from the
circumstance of its opening its pretty petals at that hour of the
day. The leaves are of dark green, and shaped like a heart; the
flowers are of a tubulous form, and of the several colours of
red, white, or purple--the latter are the most common. The seeds
are black and hard, and of a conical structure; the leaves are of
much repute among the old nurses of Antigua, for their efficacy
in relieving tumours, &c., but if it be only fancy, or if they
really possess some medicinal qualities, I leave the gentlemen of
the lancet to determine.
The Palmetto, _areca oleracea,_ cabbage palm, or mountain
cabbage, is the most beautiful tree in Antigua, and richly
deserves the epithet of king of the West Indian forests. The
trunk rises straight and smooth, and is of a most graceful form,
being about four to seven feet in circumference at the base, and
gradually tapering upwards to the height of from one hundred
feet; it is of a silverish grey colour, and indented with rings,
marking the place of former foot-stalks. The upper part of the
trunk presents a finely turned polished column, of a beautiful
green colour, which diverges gradually from its pedestal until it
attains the centre, when it diminishes in the same manner to the
top, from whence springs an acuminated spatha terminating in a
point. The branches spring from the top of the trunk in an
elegant plume-like manner; as they decay and fall off, they are
succeeded by others bursting from the centre of those that
remain. The young leaves are esteemed delicious when boiled, as
well as the cabbage, which is found in the interior of the green
part of the trunk. The flowers are hermaphrodite; the male calyx
sends forth three petals and nine stamens; the female flower is
like the male, and turns to an oval fruit, enclosing an oval
seed, which will bear a fine polish, and was formerly used for
buttons. A grove of these trees presents a beautiful appearance,
forming indeed a colonnade of finely turned columns, from the top
of which springs a verdant canopy.
Cocoa-nut Tree, _cocos nucifera,_ belongs to the order monoecia
hexandria. Male calyx is trifid, the corolla three-petalled, with
five stamens; the female calyx is quinquefid, the corolla divided
into three segments, and furnished with three stamens. The
cocoa-nut tree is supposed to have been brought from the Maldives
to the West Indies. It loves a sandy soil, and sometimes attains
the height of eighty feet. The trunk is a straight column,
slightly annulated, and tapering from the base to the summit,
where it expands into branches of about fifteen feet long, and in
a circular form, among which break forth the sheaths, which are
open from top to bottom and full of flowers, or clusters of
embryos. The branches are apparently fastened at the top with
stringy threads, interwoven like a piece of coarse sackcloth; the
pinnæ are of a deep glossy green, and, near the trunk, are often
a foot long. The nut is much esteemed for the sweetness of its
kernel, as well as for the milk and oil it produces. When the
kernel first begins to grow, it is in the form of jelly, which
lines the interior of the shell; as it increases in age, this
jelly thickens, and becomes a solid mass of about a quarter of an
inch thick, and of the whiteness of unsullied snow. The jelly
nuts contain the largest supply of milk, or water, as it is
generally termed in Antigua, often as much as a pint, or a pint
and a half; it is most esteemed in this state, the ripe nut being
seldom eaten in its crude form, but generally compounded into
different kinds of sweetmeats, or shipped to England. Thomson,
speaking of the cocoa-nut, observes--
"Amid those orchards of the sun,
Give me to drain the cocoa's milky bowl,
And from the palm to draw its freshening fruit."
These nuts are enclosed in a thick husk, composed of strong
fibres, thickly matted together, which, when young, is of a
bright green, but which attains a dull brown as it arrives at
maturity; from these husks an excellent dye can be obtained,
while the dried ones are now manufactured into mattresses,
floor-cloths, and all kinds of brooms and mats. The trunk of the
cocoa-nut tree is capable of being made into cordage, and, if
tapped, a clear liquid issues, to which the name of arrack is
given, which, when fermented, becomes an intoxicating drink. The
shell of the nut is sometimes beautifully carved and polished,
and, when mounted in silver, is used as cups or sugar-basins.
From the kernel a clear white oil is extracted, which burns with
great brilliancy, and emits a pleasant odour.
Whitewood-Tree, _bucida buceras,_ is a beautiful forest-tree, and
one that lives to a great age; there are some still remaining in
the island which are said to be coeval with the first settlers.
It rises to the height of forty or fifty-feet, and is thickly
covered with a light-green foliage, here and there sprinkled with
a leaf of the brightest red. It is said that ships built from its
timber never breeds worms.
Cedars belong to the _juniperus_ tribe. There are two species in
Antigua, the white and the red. The white is a very beautiful
tree, clothed with a dark-green glossy foliage, from whence
spring flowers of a trumpet-like shape, and of the most delicate
pink or pearly white. It forms a very beautiful avenue to a
gentleman's seat, as well as a road-side border; but the timber
is not of so much value as the red cedar, which is another most
lovely forest-tree, rising sometimes to from sixty to seventy
feet, and of proportionate circumference. The foliage is very
thick, the leaves in form like the English ash; the flowers
(which have not the beauty of its sister tree) are succeeded by
oval berries of a purplish colour. The wood of the cedar is too
well known to need much description. It is of a reddish colour
and of a fragrant smell, and is almost incorruptible, as no worms
will breed in it. It has been related that cedar-wood was found
in the temple of Apollo at Utica, full 2000 years old.
Silk-cotton Tree, _bombax seva,_ or _Ceiba,_ of the polyandria
order, class monodelphia, is one of the most beautiful
forest-trees of the western world, and a great ornament in tropic
scenery. The trunk rises smooth and straight as a column, to the
height of sixty or seventy feet, and of immense circumference. It
is said to have originally been brought from Africa to the West
Indies, where it now flourishes in splendid magnificence. The
leaves are broad, and of a glossy green, the flowers of a
delicate primrose, and campanulated; the corolla is quinquefid,
from whence rises the pointal, which afterwards turns to a pod of
about four or five inches in length, containing the seeds, and a
profusion of bright beautiful silk. From its extreme shortness,
it has been for a long time held as unfit for any use; but within
these last few years, it is discovered it can be manufactured
into hats. The East Indians use it for stuffings to their
ottomans, cushions, and sofas, on which they recline during the
heat of the day; but the West Indians, less effeminate and
luxurious, allow it to float about in its native copses unheeded,
except by the pretty little humming-bird, which sometimes builds
her fairy nest from its silky fabric.
The Manchineal, or _hippomane,_ rises from twelve to thirty feet,
branching into several stems, but the main trunk sometimes
attains three feet in circumference. It is a very beautiful tree,
the bark smooth and of a brownish hue; and the leaves, of about
two or three inches in length, are of the same glossy bright
green as the laurel; they are thick and unctuous, and, when
pressed, yield an oily milk. This tree has male catkins, which
are produced at some distance from the embryos. The female
pointal turns to a globular fleshy fruit, containing a rough
woody nut, inclosing fewer or more flat seeds. This fruit is the
celebrated manchineal apple, which, with the most beautiful
exterior, possesses the most poisonous qualities. So dire is this
plant, that the very sun, darting its rays upon it, calls forth
all its dangerous odours, and renders it unsafe to the touch;
while if any one takes shelter beneath its spreading boughs
during a storm, the rain-drops as they trickle off the leaves
blister any part of the skin they fall upon. Its timber is,
however, made use of by cabinet-makers, although, when felling
it, the wood-men, it is said, are obliged to cover their faces
with thick cloth. The Caribs used to dip their arrows in this
juice, which rendered the wound fatal. Poison extracted from this
tree will preserve its venom for 100 years. The apples, if eaten,
are said to be certain death to everything but goats.
Loblolly-Tree, _varronia-alba,_ (_pisonia subcordata?_) is
another denizen of Antigua, which shews its verdant green canopy
throughout the year. The leaves are broad, glossy, and ovate; the
trunk rises from the bottom in numerous woody stems, which,
though they present a beautiful road-side scenery, are of very
little use, except for fire-wood.
Sandbox-Tree, _hura crepitans,_ rises to the height of from
twenty to thirty feet. The trunk is straight and thick, and is
armed with short prickles; the branches start from the top, and
abound with an acrid juice. The leaves are broad and long, and of
a dullish green. The male flowers are formed like a tapering
column, and close over each other like the scales of fish; the
female flowers consist of a trumpet-like style, with a quinquefid
stigma. The germen becomes a round woody capsule, compressed at
the ends like an orange, divided into twelve cells, each
containing a flat oblong seed. When these capsules are ripe, they
burst with a loud noise, scattering their seeds and severed cells
to a great distance, and occasioning the negro, who may be
passing at the time, to exclaim, "Eh! eh! de jumbies (ghosts) dun
dere dinner hark dere plates; how dey _mash 'em!_" Before these
pods burst, they are sometimes plucked by the Antiguans, and
after being scraped and garnished with gold paper, are made into
sandboxes, (from whence this tree derives its common name,) and
sent to England as presents for the curious. This tree belongs to
the natural order _tricoccæ_, and to the monoecia class of
plants.
Logwood, _hæmatoxylon Campechianum_, grows in Antigua, but no use
is made of it in the way of commerce. It rises from the height of
eighteen to thirty feet. The trunk is generally uneven in its
growth, with somewhat of a knotty surface; the branches are
thorny, and thickly covered with lanceolated leaves, and the
flowers, five-petalled, are of a delicate pale purple and yellow.
The pointal afterwards becomes a flat oblong pod, containing a
few kidney-shaped seeds. Altogether it forms a very beautiful
object in woodland scenery. It belongs to the decandria class of
plants.
Calabash-tree, _crescentia cujete,_ rises to about the height of
the English apple. The trunk is straight and columnar, branching
off at the head into numerous long slender branches, clothed with
dark green foliage. The flower is insignificant; the pointal
afterwards becomes an oblong or globular fruit, of a fine green
colour, and covered with a rind, which, as it approaches to
maturity, attains the hardness and stability of maple wood. The
interior of the fruit is filled with a white pulpy substance
containing the seeds. This the negroes scrape carefully out, and
after divesting the nut of its outer green covering, dry it in
the sun, and then use them as culinary articles, instead of the
more brittle cups and basins of English ware. Some of these
calabashes, as they are generally termed, will hold from one to
two gallons, while others will not contain more than a gill.
The Pimento, or _Jamaica-pepper,_ is a species of myrtus. It is
one of the most beautiful trees in the western hemisphere, the
trunk rising smooth and shining, and of a silver-grey colour, to
the height of from fifteen to twenty feet, when it branches off
into a rich canopy of dark-green foliage, like the leaves of the
bay-tree. These leaves are very odoriferous; from them may be
expressed oil like that of cloves, and when distilled with rum or
high wines, they rank first among the West Indian simple waters,
known as _bay-rum_. The flowers are white with green stamens, and
emit a pleasing fragrance; while the berries, round, black, and
small, partake of the flavour of all the different spices, from
whence their name, _allspice_. It is said of this tree, as of the
nutmeg in the Moluccas, that the chief means of propagation is by
the birds, who, swallowing the seeds, void them again whole, when
they immediately take root and flourish.
Barbados-Lilac, _melia azedarach,_ is a very beautiful tree,
rising from twelve to twenty feet. The bark is smooth and of an
ash colour; it is bitter and astringent, and when compounded with
aromatics, has been used (in the form of powders or decoctions)
in fevers and chronic rheumatism. Toddy is said to be extracted
from the young trees. The leaves are of a light green, and the
sweet pale umbelliferous flowers hang in graceful tassels from
every branch.
Turpentine Tree, _burseræ gummifera,_ belongs to the order
dioecia, class polygamia; the calyx is triphyllous, the corolla
three-leaved, and the seed-vessel tri-valved. It grows very fast,
and sometimes attains a great height. The trunk is of a bright
brown, sometimes mottled with red, and presents a glossy
appearance; the leaves are broad, and of a deep green. It is so
tenacious of life, that it will bud and blossom after being cut
up and planted as posts.
Nickel, or nickar tree, _guilandina,_ is a curious genus of the
monogynia order, decandria class of plants. There are two
species, the _bonduc,_ or yellow nickar, and the _bonducella,_ or
grey nickar. They are both of them climbing plants, sometimes
attaining the height of fifteen or eighteen feet. The flowers are
quinquefid, the petals of a yellow colour, and growing from the
wings of the stalks. The germen becomes an oblong pod, thickly
covered with slender spines, two-valved, and containing two hard
seeds of the size and shape of a marble; those of the bonduc are
yellow; the bonducella, of a beautiful grey colour, from whence
their respective names.
Locust-Tree, _hymenæa courbaril;_ order monogynia, class
decandria. This tree sometimes rises to the height of sixty or
seventy feet, in a straight column-like trunk, of two or three
feet in circumference, covered with an ash-coloured bark. The
leaves are of a dark-green, and the flowers, divided into five
segments, and of a pale purple, streaked with yellow, come out in
loose spikes at the end of the branches. The germen becomes a
thick fleshy pod, of four or five inches long, covered with a
hard brown shell, and containing a farinaceous substance, in
taste something like gingerbread, but of a most intolerable
odour, but which is eaten heartily by the negroes. In it is
seated two or three hard brown seeds, of about the size of
marbles, but of an oblong shape. The timber is used for making
bedsteads, &c., while from the roots a dark transparent gum may
be procured, which, when dissolved with spirits of wine, forms an
excellent varnish.
The Cashew-nut Tree, or _anacardium,_ belongs to the order
dioecia, class polygamia. The cup of the flower is oblong and
quinquefid. The flower is deciduous, and is formed of a single
leaf, divided into five concave segments, with five lanceolated
petals; at the bottom of the calyx is the ovarie, which turns to
a fruit the size and shape of a bury pear, and of a red or yellow
colour; it abounds in a sweet juice, slightly acrid, but which is
much esteemed by the Antiguans in punch or lemonade; from the
apex of the fruit grows the seed, in shape like a hare's kidney,
the upper part of the receptacle being the largest. The shell is
thick and cellular, and abounds in a dark caustic oil, which
blisters the parts it is applied to; it is said to be used by
some West Indian ladies to improve their complexion--it must
prove a very painful wash, I should think; far unlike Rowland's
inimitable Kalydor. When roasted, the kernel is very sweet; they
are often sent to England as presents. It is a common practice in
Antigua, to place the young fruit, when growing, in a
shallow-necked bottle, which is attached to the tree; when the
fruit is full grown, it is severed from the tree, and the bottle
filled with high wines, which keeps it in a state of
preservation. Thus prepared, it is sent to England as a
curiosity, where it raises surprise from the fact of so large a
fruit having entered at so small an aperture as a bottle's mouth.
The milk which oozes from the tree stains of a deep black, which
no ablution will remove.
Mango-Tree, _mangifera,_ belongs to the polygamia class of
plants. This tree sometimes rises to a great height, and is
covered with a roughish bark. The leaves are often eight or nine
inches long, and about an inch and a half in breadth, and the
flowers start from loose umbels at the end of the branches. The
germen afterwards becomes a large, oblong, fleshy fruit, of a
fine yellow colour, and containing a flat seed covered with a
woolly substance. When good, it has something of the flavour of a
ripe apricot, but the generality of mangos are so strongly
impregnated with turpentine, that it is almost uneatable. When
fermented, an agreeable drink is said to be procured from the
fruit. This tree was introduced into the West Indies from some
part of Africa. In 1798, Admiral Lord Rodney planted it in
Jamaica; he had taken the plants in a French prize from the Isle
of Bourbon.
Banana, _musa sapientum,_ rises to the height of six or ten feet;
the leaves are about eight inches broad, and three feet long, and
of a bright green colour, deeply veined. The wind, as it blows
them backwards and forwards, severs them at these several veins,
so that in a few days, from unfolding, the banana branches hang
in tattered shreds. The fruit is oblong, and about four inches in
length; the outer covering is yellow, and the flavour something
like that of an over-ripe apple. When cut longitudinally, a
representation of the crucifixion of our Saviour is said to be
perceived, but this, I think, is a vagary of the imagination--at
least, I never could find anything of the sort, although I have
cut many bananas.
The Custard Apple, _annona reticulata,_ is a genus of the
polygynia order, class polyandria. This tree rises to about the
height of a common apple. The cup of the flower is three-leaved,
from whence start six petals of the heart-shaped kind, and
antheræ are numerous. The pointal becomes a large roundish fruit,
of a pulpy consistence, and containing a great number of black
seeds; it is not held in much repute, and is scarcely eaten
except by the negroes, although Ligon speaks of it as being very
delicious.
Star-apple, _chrysophyllum cainito,_ belongs to the monogynia
order, and petandria class of plants. It rises to the height of
thirty-five or forty feet, with a smooth straight trunk, from
which shoot several branches at regular distances. The foliage is
of a deep green on the upper side, with the underneath of a
russet colour. The flower is campaniform, divided into ten
segments, but of no great beauty; from the calyx rises the
pointal, which afterwards becomes the fruit, of a globular shape,
and divided into ten cells, in each of which is a flattish glossy
seed. It derives its name from its internal arrangement, which,
when cut transversely, presents the form of a star.
Papaw, _carica papaya,_ a genus of the decandria order, class
dioecia. The trunk rises in a simple hollow stem, marked in
lozenges, to the height of eighteen or twenty feet; the trees are
male and female; the leaves are large, and divided into several
lobes, and come out upon very long, hollow footstalks, from the
acros or summit of the tree. The male flowers are tubelous, and
divided into five segments; the calyx small, and the filaments
short and long alternately. The colour is a bright primrose, and,
seated as they are upon their pale green flower-stalk, they
present a very beautiful appearance. The female flowers are also
primrose colour, and expand in form of a star, so deeply cut into
six segments, that they appear to consist of so many distinct
leaves. The calyx is quinquedentated; and from the centre rises
the pointal, surmounted by a crest of four leaves. This pointal
afterwards becomes a fleshy fruit, of an oblong or globular form,
covered with a thin rind, and containing, as in a melon, numerous
small black seeds of the pungent flavour of pepper. The fruit,
when good, has the colour, and something of the taste, of an
apricot; when unripe, the internal part is quite white, and in
such state is boiled and dished up in the manner of turnip. It is
also cut into various forms, and, mixed with peppers, cucumbers,
&c., forms the West Indian pickles. The milk which exudes from it
is said to be efficient in making meats tender; and, accordingly,
its good qualities are often put to the test by notable
housewives, who wish to pass off their old fowls, of five or six
generations, for young chickens. From all parts of the tree flows
this acrid milky juice, or _albumen,_ which may be used instead
of egg in clarifying sugar or liquors. It is also said to be a
specific for the toothache.
Soursop, _annona muricata,_ of the polygynia order, polyandria
class. It is a richly foliaged tree, rising to the height of
about twenty feet. The flowers have a grateful but rather heavy
odour. The calyx is three-leaved; the corolla is large, composed
of six petals--the three outer ones concave and coriaceous, and
of a yellow colour; the three inner ones somewhat smaller and
spherical. The flowers are deciduous, and when they open they
make so loud a report as to occasion a start from those who stand
beneath the tree. The fruit is pulpy, and covered with a thick
green rind, of the consistence of leather, studded over with
green prickles, cone-shaped, and attains a great size; the
interior is cellular, and furnished with oblong glossy seeds,
which spring from the spear-shaped core. The juice makes an
excellent transparent jelly; but in its crude form the fruit is
never introduced at genteel tables, although of a very grateful
flavour: all manner of stock are fond of it, and the little
negroes luxuriate most freely upon it when in season.
Mamma Sapota, _achras mammosa,_ is a splendid lofty tree,
belonging to the monogynia order, class pentandria. The pistil of
the flower is rather long, and is surrounded by six stamens. The
fruit is globular, and is covered with a thick brown rind; the
eatable part lies between that and the large round seed, which is
covered with a fine thin skin. It is very indigestible when eaten
in its crude state, but makes a luscious sweetmeat, which is
generally esteemed.
Bread Fruit, _artocarpus,_ belongs to the order monandria, and
the monoecia class of plants. It was brought from Otaheite to
these islands by Captain Bligh, a gentleman well known for his
trials in the "Mutiny of the Bounty." This tree rises to the
height of about forty feet, and is covered with a thick foliage;
the leaves are sometimes a foot and a half long, of an oblong
shape, and when broken, exude a milky juice. The trunk is of a
pale ash colour, with a smoothish bark; the catkins, or male
flowers, have no calyx, but are formed of valves hanging down in
the form of ropes; the corolla has two petals, and concave; the
female flower has neither corolla nor calyx, but the germs are
numerous, connected into a globe. The fruit is globular, and
about the size of a melon; the rind is thick and green, and is
divided hexagonally in the form of net-work; the internal part is
covered with a substance like thick wool. The edible part of the
fruit lies between the skin and the core; it is perfectly white,
and something like new bread, but it must be roasted before
eaten. The taste is insipid, but is said to afford great
nourishment. The milk which oozes from the trunk, when boiled
with cocoa-nut oil, makes an excellent bird-lime, and the wood is
useful for building.
Sappadilla, _achras sapota,_ of the monogynia order, class
pentandria. The calyx is a perianthum, with six erect concave
leaves; the corolla bears one petal, the full length of the cup;
the germen is globular, and becomes a pulpy fruit of a similar
form, having twelve cells, each containing a glossy oblong black
seed. The fruit is very luscious to the taste, and ranks among
one of the first at an Antiguan table. The tree is about the size
of the oak, and continues to bud and blossom throughout the year:
there are three species of this tree.
Sugar Apple, _annona squamosa,_ another genus of the polygynia
order, polyandria class. The flower is insignificant, and nearly
scentless; the pointal changes to a cone-shaped fruit of a dead
green colour, divided into oblong compartments, each one
cellular, and furnished with a flat glossy seed. The fruit
abounds in saccharine juice, from whence its name. It grows to
the height of about fifteen feet, and is thickly covered with
oblong leaves, the upper part of a dead green, the underneath
approaching to white.
Sea-side Grape, _coccoloba uvifera;_ of the order trigynia, and
octandria class of plants. The calyx is divided into five
segments, of a velvety texture; there is no corolla, but the
berry, containing one seed, is formed from the calyx. It
luxuriates most freely in a sandy soil, where it sometimes
attains the height of from eight to fifteen feet. The trunk, or
rather trunks, for it sends up from the root several stems, is
covered with a smooth brown bark. The leaves are orbicular, and
are from five to six inches in circumference; they are of a
bottle-green, and deeply veined, and stand upon short, thick
foot-stalks. The fruit is of a red colour, but when quite ripe,
approaches to black; it contains one seed, in form, like a
cocoa-nut. There are fourteen species of this shrub, of which the
chigery grape, _coccoloba nivea,_ is another denizen of Antigua.
It is not, however, much esteemed for the flavour. The flowers,
which afterwards turn to the fruit, come out at the wing of the
stalk, in racemi of about the length and appearance of white
currants.
The Shaddock, _citrus decumana,_ order polyandria, class
polyadelphia, is a native of China; it was brought first to the
West Indies by Captain Shaddock; hence its name. It is another
species of the tribe _citrus,_ belonging to the same class and
order as its sister shrubs, the lime and orange. The fruit is of
two kinds--the one with a white pulp, the other of a reddish
colour; the latter is the most esteemed. The fruit is of much
larger dimensions than the orange, with a thick rough rind, which
is capable of being manufactured into a very superior kind of
_bitters_. This tree grows to the height of from eight to twelve
feet, with thick broad leaves, slightly serrated.
Lime-tree, _citrus limonum,_ of the polyadelphia order, class
polyandria. The calyx is divided into five segments, the corolla
is quinquefid, and of the most delicate white, and with numerous
antheræ tipped with yellow farina. The scent of the flowers is
most delicious; and their silvery whiteness, contrasted with the
glossy green of the foliage, renders it one of the most beautiful
of shrubs. The lime-tree is said to resemble the holly of England
in appearance; it sometimes attains the height of fifteen feet.
Oldmixon, speaking of this shrub, says--"Fifty years ago, the
planters made hedges of them about their houses; their prickles
served for a fortification against the naked negroes." The fruit
is very fragrant, of the colour and shape of a lemon, and about
the size of a hen's egg; the juice is a strong acid. Galisco
mentions that it was the lime-tree and the box which Harpalus
found so much difficulty in cultivating at Babylon.
The Orange, _citrus aurantium,_ is of the same class and order as
the foregoing. The trunk rises smooth and straight, from six to
ten feet in height, when it divides into several branches,
forming a green canopy. The leaves are oval-shaped, and of a
glossy green; and its beautiful and fragrant flowers spring forth
from numerous flower-stalks at the side of the branches. The
fruit, when gathered, is in a green state, which afterwards
attains a yellow colour. An orange-bough just severed from the
tree, bending gracefully from the weight of its fruit, and
shewing its clusters of pearly blossoms, is a very lovely
picture.
Avocada Pear, _persea gratissima,_ order trigynia, class
Enneandria, is a lofty tree, crowned with a dense foliage, and
bearing one of the best fruits the island produces. The shape is
that of a quince, covered with a tough, ligneous rind, and
containing one large, compressed globular seed. In flavour, it
somewhat resembles a broiled _vegetable marrow_. It is sometimes
eaten with wine and sugar, but more generally with pepper and
salt.
Black Cherry, _cerasus occidentalis,_ is a genus of the natural
order rosaceæ. It rises to about the height of 20 or 30 feet. The
wood is much used by the negroes in their wattled houses, as it
is of a flexible nature. The leaves are obovated, and the
delicate-looking flowers hang from every branch.
The Acacia rises to about twenty feet in branching stems, armed
with long and sharp thorns. The flowers are globular, and of a
bright yellow; they hang from every spray, and load the air with
their fragrant odours. The pointal afterwards becomes a legume,
containing several flat brown seeds, like those of lupins; these
seeds have been found useful in setting dyes, and the gum
produced from the trees is the best that can be used in calico
printing; formerly the flowers were made use of in the materia
medica, but this age of wisdom has expelled those various
conserves which once loaded the shelves of an apothecary's shop.
Lignum Vitæ, _guaiacum,_ or pack wood, as it is sometimes called,
is another beautiful forest tree of Antigua. It attains the size
of a large oak; the trunk is covered with a hard, brown bark,
although the branches are of a greyish-ash colour. The foliage is
magnificent, and of the sweetest green, while the beauty of the
tree is enhanced by the clusters of cerulean flowers, which hang
in loose umbels from almost every spray.
Perhaps the most beautiful and fragrant flower which grows in
Antigua is the _frangepanier,_ or _plumeria_. It rises to the
height of from ten to fifteen feet, with a rough, greyish trunk,
from whence start numerous fantastic-shaped branches, convolving
and wreathing their long, naked arms on all sides. From the end
of these branches start large, oblong leaves, standing upon
three-inch footstalks, and forming a beautiful cluster. These
leaves are deciduous, and as they fall off, are succeeded by
bunches of flowers, which grow in umbels, rising from one centre
stem, of about three or four inches in length. These flowers are
of the most delicate pink, shaded off to white, and of a velvety
surface, the lower part of the petals being yellow. They are
divided into five or six segments, and the scent of them is so
delicious, that it ravishes the senses while inhaling its odour.
All parts of this tree abounds in a milky, acrid juice, which
drops freely upon breaking off the least part, or making the
slightest incision.
Guava Tree, _psidium pomiferum,_ order monogynia, class
icosandria, rises in the manner of a shrub, to the height of from
two to twelve feet. The leaves are ovate, and of a dusky green;
the flowers consist of five segments, produced in a circular
form, with numerous stamens surrounding an ovary of an oblong
form. This becomes a fleshy fruit, of the shape and colour of a
lemon, surmounted by a crest of small leaves. The interior of the
fruit is of a rose-colour, or a pure white, containing numerous
small, yellow seeds; the flavour is exquisite, and the jelly made
from it surpasses the whole world of confectionary. The
celebrated Sir Hans Sloane is said to have been particularly fond
of it; indeed, it is a universal favourite, and cattle and birds
greedily eat the fruit in its crude form.
Bamboo, _bambusa arundinacea,_ belongs to the order monogynia,
class hexandria. It rises to a great height, sometimes fifty or
sixty feet. The young stalks are almost solid, and are filled
with a sweetish kind of liquid, which, as they progress in age
and become hollow, falls to the bottom of the joint, where it is
stopped by a woody membrane, and concretes into a kind of sugar,
called _tabaxir_. This tabaxir is said to possess strong
medicinal qualities, and was held in such esteem by the ancients,
that it was often sold for its weight in silver. The bamboo is
used in Antigua for spouts, fish-pots, or as posts for fences: it
forms a pretty screen, and as the wind wantons through its
lanceolated leaves, a pleasing melody ensues.
Physic Nut, _jatropha curcas,_ belongs to the same order and
class as the cassada, &c. It grows to the height of ten or twelve
feet, with a knotty stem, and the leaves (cordate and angular)
starting from the ends of the branches. The flowers are green,
and hang in umbels; they are succeeded by nuts, with the outward
covering green, and containing an oblong kernel, separated by two
milk-white leaves, of a perfect shape. This plant is often used
for fences, and according to old Ligon, is "of so poisonous a
nature that no animal will approach it." This is not correct in
every point, for it produces no ill-consequences, unless taken to
excess, when it acts as a violent cathartic.
The French Physic Nut, _jatropha multifida,_ is another species
of this tribe. It rises in a shrubby manner, from eight to ten
feet in height, the main stem being covered with a silver-grey
bark, and dividing into several branches at the top. The leaves
are large and lobed, and the flowers, of a purple colour, grow
from the extremity of the branches, in groups. They are succeeded
by nuts, of the same size and appearance as those of the
_jatropha curcas_.
Peppers, _capsicums,_ genus of the monogynia order, class
pentandria. There are twenty species of this tribe, the principal
of which known in Antigua is the bonnet or bonny pepper,
_capsicum angulosum,_ of a bright yellow; the goat-pepper, or
_capsicum annuum,_ of an oblong figure, and red colour, not much
esteemed for flavour; the cherry-pepper, or _capsicum
cerasiforme,_ also red, in form like a large Kentish cherry--from
whence its name; and the bird-pepper, the most esteemed of all
capsicums. This last is a most beautiful shrub; the leaves are of
the deepest green, and the fruit, with all the rich glow of the
coral, bursting from their light green cups, cluster upon every
bough. It is from the bird-pepper the best cayenne is produced;
when mixed with the yellow bonny, the colour becomes paler, and
is less esteemed. The London adulterators, in order to keep up
that bright red tinge, are in the habit of colouring their
cayenne with red lead.
The Jasmines are of great beauty and variety in Antigua. The
principal among them are the Arabian jasmine, _jasminum sambac,_
and the Cape jasmine, _jasminum fragrans_. The leaves are large,
and of a beautiful green, while the silvery blossoms, of a
rose-like form, fill the air with their delicious fragrance. This
shrub is a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the
diandria class of plants.
King of Flowers, _lagerstroemia indica,_ is a genus of the
monogynia order, belonging to the polyandria class of plants. It
is one of the ornaments of the Antiguan flower-garden--its rosy
corolla peeping from its bright green leaves; still it is not
near so worthy of praise as its fair consort, the lovely
Queen of Flowers, _lagerstroemia regina,_ which does not throw
out her delicate pink petals until her slight limbs are bent down
beneath her flowing burden.
"Lady of the Night," _cestrum nocturnum,_ of the monogynia order,
and pentandria class of plants, one of the sweetest and most
poetical of all the Antiguan flowering shrubs. The flowers are of
a delicate white, and elegantly shaped. As the day draws to a
close, they unfold their lovely petals, which emit the most
delicious odour, and that so powerful, that a single flower will
perfume an entire suite of apartments. It is not "_labour lost_"
to sit up until midnight, to watch the unfolding of this darling
child of Flora's in all her glory; for, in the words of the poet,
"Her beauty hangs upon the cheek of night,
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear."
The Flower Fence, or Barbados pride, _poinciana pulcherrima,_ is
a very beautiful aculeated shrub, of the order monogynia; the
flowers, of a bright red and yellow, are papilionaceous; the
pistilum is long, and the stamens numerous; the seeds are oblong
and glossy, and when beaten up with borax and water are said to
form an excellent cement. There are two species, the red and the
yellow, each equally admired, and which form a most beautiful
garden fence, from whence the name. The leaves of the shrub are
supposed to contain some medicinal qualities, and are
consequently much esteemed by "old women."
Trumpet Flower, _bignonia unguis,_ is a genus of the angiospermia
order, class didynamia; the calyx is quinquefid, the corolla of
an elegant bell-shape, and is also quinquefoliated. It is one of
the most glowing beauties of the West Indian florist's world. By
some it is called the scarlet jessamin, from its colour.
The Noyeau-vine, _convolvulus dissectus,_ belongs to the order
monogynia, class pentandria; the flower is campiform, but expands
beneath the influence of the light into the figure of a star. The
petals are of a delicate pearly white, the lower parts of a deep
purple, the leaves of a deep green; and the seeds, black and very
hard, are contained in a three-celled capsule. Noyeau is said to
be extracted from this plant, from whence its name; but setting
aside this doubtful good quality, it is one of the most admired
parasites Antigua produces, and forms a great ornament to a
verandah or balcony.
Among the other beautiful vines to be met with, are the
passiflora tribe; they are--
1st. The Granadilla, _passiflora quadrangularis._
2nd. The Water Lemon, _passiflora maliformis,_ and
3rd. The Conch Nut, _passiflora maliformis._
The granadilla bears a large, oblong fruit, with a thick, fleshy
covering, and containing a most delicious pulpy consistence, of a
slightly-acid flavour, with numerous flat seeds.
The fruit of the water lemon is of a similar flavour, but of
smaller growth, in size and shape more resembling a lemon--from
whence its name--and with a covering more ligneous. The conch nut
is the most acid, and of an inferior quality. It is of a globular
form, with a smooth woody shell. All these varieties form an
elegant arbour, with their glossy green leaves, and their lovely
blossoms, of the same fair form and colour as the passion-flower
--a genus of their own tribe.
Aloe, a genus of the order monogynia, class hexandria: there are
thirteen species of aloes, the most common of which found in
Antigua is the aloe plant, _aloe vulgaris._ The leaves are broad
and thick, and about from two to three feet long; they are full
of strong fibres, which can be manufactured into cordage, &c. The
aloe plant is commonly used for fences, its long sharp-pointed
leaves proving an excellent repellant to any intruder. From the
centre of the plant rises a smooth green stem, or column, of
about twenty or thirty feet high, broad at the base, and tapering
to the top, where it branches out into numerous pedunculuses, or
flower stalks. This plant has no calyx; the corolla is
monopetalous, and of the colour of the brightest gold, which
produces a splendid appearance when in bloom. They are very hardy
plants, and can scarcely be destroyed even if wished.
Spanish Needle, _bindens leucantha;_ of the natural order,
compositiæ oppositifoliæ. The leaves are composed of strong
fibres, which are capable of being manufactured into a ship's
cable or a skein of lace thread, a sail for a man-of-war or the
finest cambric handkerchiefs.
Cactus, _cacteæ_, is an order of plants that abounds in all parts
of the island. They consist of a calyx adhering to the ovary, the
corolla divided into several segments, and the petals variously
coloured. The fruit is a succulent seedy berry, in some species
of a beautiful red colour. The stems are covered with small
tubercles, containing tufts of sharp spines, varying in size. The
"Turk's cap," _melocactus communis,_ is one of the handsomest of
its tribe. It rises in a globular-shaped stem, deeply channelled,
of a green colour, and covered with long spines. The top is
surmounted by a spherical spinal crest, of a beautiful rose
colour, with fleshy seeds of the same glowing tinge. It grows
wild in all the sun-dried plains of Antigua, and forms a singular
contrast to the withered-looking herbage. The prickly pear is
another member of this family; the leaves are thick and oblong,
covered with long spines, and filled with a muculent substance.
The fruit is in form like an English pear, and of a slightly acid
flavour; the rind is thick, and of a red colour, marked near the
base with streaks of yellow; the pulpy interior is of the finest
crimson, and of the consistence of syrup, which is sometimes used
to colour sweetmeats, and affords at times a rich treat to the
little negroes. The fruit starts from the leaves without any
footstalks, and leaf succeeds to leaf, until it attains the
height of from five to six feet. It loves a sandy soil, but on
every bank, or in every pasture, it may be met with; while from
its formidable spines, and thick fleshy leaves, it forms an
excellent fence. There is another species, called the French
prickly pear, the succulent leaf of which is sometimes used as a
vegetable.
The Egg-Plant, _solanum melongena,_ or _ovigerum,_ is a curiosity
in the vegetable kingdom. It attains the height of from two to
three feet, and is covered with downy leaves of an ovate form.
The fruit is of a globose fleshy berry, of the size, shape, and
colour of a hen's egg, from whence its name.
There are three species of lilies indigenous to the country, the
most common of which is the Lily-asphodel, _amaryllis equestris,_
a genus of the monogynia order, hexandria class of plants. The
flower rises from an oblong emarginated spatha; the corolla
consists of six lance-like petals, of a clear white, with long
slender stamens. The seed-bag, or _capsule,_ is composed of three
valves, and contains numerous seeds.
Cotton Shrub, or _gossypium,_ rises to the height of six or seven
feet. The flower is bell-shaped, and consists of one leaf deeply
cut into several segments, enfolding one another, and of a pale
primrose. From the centre of the flower rises a kind of hollow
cylinder, adorned with chives or filaments. The pointal becomes a
globular fruit, or pod, composed of five cells, containing small,
hard, black seeds, closely enwrapped in the wool, (or cotton, as
it is more generally termed,) which, when ripe, bursts open at
the apex, and discloses the snowy interior.
Castor Plant, or _palma Christi,_ is a very pretty shrub, rising
to the height of about fifteen feet. It expands into numerous
branches, from which spring dark green leaves, deeply lobed, and
standing upon long footstalks. The flowers are insignificant in
appearance; the germen becomes a three-celled, globular pod,
covered with slender spines, and contains three
beautifully-polished, oblong seeds, of a black and silver-grey
colour. The best castor oil is obtained from these seeds, by
pressure; but the common practice in use among the negroes is to
boil them in water, and skim off the unctuous matter as it rises
to the top.
Cassada, or cassava, is made from the roots _jatropha,_ or
_janipha manihot_. This plant belongs to the natural order
_euphorbiaceæ,_ and abounds in a juice, the smallest dose of
which is highly dangerous from its poisonous qualities. It,
however, forms a nutritious food after the juice is well
expressed, when it is baked in the form of thin cakes, and
supplies the want of bread. _Farina_ and tapioca are other
preparations from this root, half a pound of which, per diem, is
said to be sufficient to support the strongest man.
Arrow-root, and _tout-les-mois,_ is the fecula obtained by a
similar process from those several roots, the nutritious
qualities of which are too well known in the sick chamber to call
for further mention. The petals of the arrow-root are of a clear
white, while those of the _tout-les-mois_ are of a fine crimson,
and start from long sheath-like leaves. The French gave the name
to this latter plant, from the fact of its flowering every month.
There are a great variety of grasses to be met with in Antigua,
the principal of which are--the Guinea-grass, cent. per cent.
grass, (_panicum colonum,_) devil-grass, (_cynodon dactylon,_)
and nut-grass, (_cyperus hydra._) The Guinea-grass was introduced
into the West Indies, from the coast of Guinea, as its name
declares. Jamaica was the first island in which it was
propagated, and that by mere accident. The seed of this species
of herbage was brought from Africa, as food for some curious
birds, natives of that clime, which the captain of a slaver
intended to convey to Jamaica as a present. Soon after their
arrival, the birds died, and the seed was thrown away as useless.
It, however, took root, and flourished surprisingly. The cattle
grazing in that part of the island found it out, and eagerly
feasted upon it, which being perceived by the planters, the
remaining roots were protected for seedlings, and thus the growth
of this species was established, and finally distributed
throughout the other islands, where it now ranks among the most
esteemed of grasses.
The different species of grain propagated in Antigua are the
Indian Corn, or Maize, and the Guinea Corn--both of them included
in the botanical name, _Zea_. The Indian corn rises to the height
of about five or six feet; the leaves are eleven or twelve inches
long, and two broad, with the edges deeply serrated. The corn,
when ripe, is of a bright golden colour, and the ear is covered
with a brown silken substance, and then enwrapped in a husk
composed of many leaf-like envelopes, which are dried and used by
the negroes for stuffing their beds.
The Guinea corn attains the height of about seven or eight feet;
the stalk is about the thickness of a small rattan, and is, it is
said, capable of being manufactured into sugar. The main stalk
branches at the top into several pedicles, each of which bears an
ear of corn; the grains are small and round, like shot; they are
inclosed in a black shell, which, as the corn ripens, bursts, and
forms two small leaves. This grain is used chiefly for feeding
horses, &c., although the negroes sometimes manufacture it into
meal, and boil it into a kind of pudding.
Of the esculent roots, the yam, _dioscorea sativa,_ is the most
valuable the island produces. There are several varieties of this
plant, the roots of some of them weighing from 20 to 30lbs. The
flowers are green, and consist of six segments, the male flowers
having six stamens, and the female three styles. The leaves are
broad, and strongly veined, and are seated upon long spreading
vines. The internal colour of the root varies according to the
species--some being quite white, others white and red blended
together, which are called by the negroes _moonshine,_ and some
of a reddish purple.
The Sweet Potatoe, _convolvulus batatas,_ is the most common in
Antigua. It grows upon a twining vine, and vegetates best in a
clayey land. The flower is campiform, and the leaves deeply
lobated. There are several varieties of this root, some of which
attain a great size; it abounds in a saccharine milky juice,
which stains the flesh touched by it.
Eddoes, _arum maximum Ægyptianum,_ are small edible roots,
abounding, in their crude form, in a slimy juice, but when
thoroughly ripe and boiled, attains a dry floury consistence. The
natives consider it as one of their standing vegetables, using it
in soups, &c.; but to an English palate it is generally
distasteful at first trial.
Squashes, _cucurbita melopepo,_ is a pomiferous herb much
esteemed by the Antiguans. The yellow bell-flower is succeeded by
a small, oblong fruit, which, when boiled, is very similar to the
English vegetable marrow.
Soap-berry tree, or _saponaria_. The flowers are white and small,
and are succeeded by acrid berries of the size and colour of
small cherries. They were formerly imported to England, where
they were used for waistcoat buttons. If pounded and thrown into
water, it is said they cause the death of all the fish therein.
These berries answer the purpose of soap in washing linen, (from
whence they attain their name,) and are recommended as a specific
for the disease of yaws in poultry.
There are a great variety of peas in Antigua, but none of them of
the delicate flavour of those usually cultivated in England. The
principal sorts are the pigeon pea, the black-eyed pea, and the
white bean, or Barbados pea. The general use made of these
vegetables is to boil them in soup, which forms a grand dish in
negro cookery; they are used either in their dry or green state.
Ginger is a genus of the monogynia order, class monandria. There
are ten species, each natives of tropical climates; the common
ginger, or _amomum zingiber,_ is the one most known in Antigua.
The flower-stalks rise by the side of the leaves, (which are of a
light green, and very narrow,) directly from the root; they are
scaly, and from every joint issues a single blue flower,
five-leaved, and shaped like the iris. The ovary afterwards
becomes a triangular fruit, the seed being contained in three
cells. The use of the dried root is too well known in England to
descant upon the virtues of it; the green root is preserved in
sugar, and forms a much admired sweetmeat.
Pine apple, _ananas,_ is the queen of Antiguan fruits. There are
two varieties, the "black pine," and the "white pine;" of these
the first mentioned is the most esteemed. The flavour of the pine
is exquisite, not to be _described,_ but _eaten_ to have its
excellences fully appreciated; it forms, indeed, a perfect
ambrosia not to be surpassed by that of _Mount Olympus._
Water Melon, or _anguria,_ a genus of the diandria order, class
monoecia. The calyx is quinquefid, and the flower
quinquepetalous. The fruit belies not its name, abounding in a
sweet water; it is three-celled, and contains numerous flat
seeds; the scent is very fragrant. There are three kinds of melon
in Antigua, all of which are esteemed for their cooling
qualities.
Of the capreolated plants, the gourd (_cucurbita_) is the most
common in the island. The flower consists of one leaf, an
expanded campiform, but so deeply divided that it appears upon
first view to be five distinct segments. The germen becomes an
oblong, bottle-shaped fruit, divided into six cells, containing
flat, oblong seeds. The bitter flavour of the gourd is extreme;
but both the fruit and leaves are said to be of great efficacy in
some diseases of the viscera.
Among the acroydra tribe, the principal found in Antigua is the
Ground Nut, _arachis hypogæa_. It is a genus of the decandria
order, class polyadelphia. The flowers are papilionaceous, and
the leaves of a light green; the nut, which grows from the root,
is not dug until the plant withers. It is roasted before eaten;
the kernel, which is twofold; is very sweet, and forms an
important article of traffic to the petty hucksters.