66
KUTACE2E.
Numerous species occur in the West Indies , 1 in Mexico and Central America , 2 in Brazil 3 wherenearly fifty species are recognized, and in the other countries of tropical America . The genus hasseveral representatives in tropical Africa, 4 in India , 5 China , 6 and Japan , 7 in the Malay Archipelago , andin Australia , where three species occur. 8
The bark of Xanthoxylum, especially that of the roots, contains a bitter principle, 9 which has beenfound identical with Berberina, 10 an acrid resin, and a yellow coloring matter. It is a powerfulstimulant and tonic, sometimes used in the treatment of rheumatism, to excite salivation and to alle-viate toothache. The bark of several West Indian species is considered anti-syphilitic. The roots ofXanthoxylum nitidum are deemed sudorific in China , and are thought to furnish a valuable febrifuge.The fruit of Xanthoxylum elatum is used in India as a condiment, and the seeds to poison fish; 11 andthe leaves and fruit of this species are used by the Chinese as a stimulant, sudorific, and anthelmintic;and silkworms are fed upon the leaves. 12 The capsules of X. piperitum furnish the Japanese pepperof commerce, and are used medicinally in China . 13 The wood of X. hrachyacanthum of Australia isused in cabinet-making, 14 and the wood of some of the West Indian species is considered valuable.
Xanthoxylum, 15 derived from £ct v6og and %v1ov, appears to have been first used as the name of aplant by Plukenet , 16 who applied it to a West Indian tree. The name was afterwards used by Cateshy,and adopted by Linnaeus , who credited the genus to Cadwallader Colden 17 who had published a descrip-tion of the northern Prickly Ash with generic characters. 18
practiced his profession for a short time in Pittsburgh , but was forcedby ill-health to seek a milder climate. He passed four winters insouthern Florida , where he discovered many new species of plants( Eugenia Garberi, Liatris Garberi, Habenaria Garberi, etc.), and de-termined the presence in Florida of several West Indian trees. Dr.Garber made a botanical excursion to Porto Rico in 1880. Garbe-ria of a single species — a Florida shrub with Liatris-like flowers —commemorates Dr. Garber’s services to American botany.
1 Grisebach, FI. Brit. W. Ind. 13C.
2 Hemsley, Bot. Biol. Am. Cent. i. 168.
8 Eicliler, Martius FI. Brasil , xii. 2, 151.
4 Oliver, FI. Trop. Afr. i. 304. — Baker, FI. Maur. If Seych. 39.
6 Hooker f. FI. Brit. Ind. i. 492.
6 Forbes & Hemsley, Jour. Linn. Soc. xxiii. 105.
7 Francliet & Savatier, Enum. PI. Jap. i. 72.
8 Bentham, FI. Austral, i. 362.
9 Xanthopicrite, Chevallier & Pelletan, Ann. Chem. Phy. ser. 2,xxxiv. 200.
10 Dyson-Perrins, Pharm. Jour. ser. 2, iv. 403.
11 Brandis, Forest Flor. Brit. Ind. 47.
12 Smith, Contrib. Mat. Med. China , 234.
18 Smith, l. c.
15 The word was written Z anthoxylum by Plukenet and Linnseus,and many authors have followed this faulty orthography. It wascorrected, however, by Miller, whose spelling of the word has beenadopted by several prominent botanists, including Asa Gray ( Proc.Am. Acad. n. ser. xxiii. 225).
16 Aim. Bot. 396, t. 239, f. 3.
17 Cadwallader Colden (1688-1776) ; a native of Dunse, Scotland ,graduated at the medical school of Edinburgh in 1775. Dr. Colden practiced his profession in Pennsylvania from 1708 to 1715, and in1719 received the appointment of surveyor-general of New York ,and that of lieutenant-governor of the province in 1761, perform-ing the duties of governor for much of the time until 1775, whenhe retired to Long Island,where he died in his eighty-ninth year.Dr. Colden was one of the most distinguished of the early cultivat-ors of science in America . He became interested in botany throughthe publications of Linnseus, with whom, and with other Europeanmen of science, he carried on an active correspondence during manyyears. His paper on the Plantce Coldenhamice, published in theTransactions of the Royal Society of Science at Upsala, in 1742, isthe earliest contribution to a knowledge of the botany of the Stateof New York . It was considered an extraordinary performance,and received the highest praise from Linnseus and Gronovius.
18 PI. Colden. 107.
Calyx lobes 5.
Leaves deciduous, stems armedLeaves persistent, stems unarmedCalyx lobes 3.
Leaves evergreen.
Flowers complete.
Flowers destitute of calyx