A Naturalist's Sojourn in Jamaica

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1851 Excerpt: ...for the press I have been favoured with some details of great interest respecting this noble tree, from Mr. Hill; elicited by an allusion in one of my letters to what appeared to me so singular a circumstance as a tropical tree remaining defoliated ten months in the year. I shall quote my friend's remarks at length. I am glad you have asked me to explain the occurrence of the unleafed Eriodendron in the month of July, because it enables me to detail some peculiarities in the economy of that magnificent tree, not usually noticed by naturalists. The Eriodendron, or Silk-Cotton tree, is characterised by the remarkable property of producing leaves and flowers in alternate years. When seen with its seed pods at the terminal twigs, dotting its immense mass of stems and branches all over, it has not yet expanded into leaf; the foliage is still enclosed in the leaf-bud. At this time it is much more an emblem of Hope, than Moore's Almondtree in Lalla Rookh; it not alone blossoms, but matures fruit upon a leafless stem. The Eriodendron, or Ceiba, as the Indians called the tree, exhibits a growth by concentric layers of wood, of more or less regulated thickness, only in the early period of its life. It is observed soon to become ventricose at a short height in the trunk, being thicker about the middle than lower down towards the root. Up to this time the bark is armed with strong spines, which are obliterated when the ventricose character disappears. After this state of progression, it commences throwing out buttresses from the trunk to the large radiated roots, which now show themselves on the surface of the soil. When the growth has advanced to this condition, the wood is no longer deposited in the lower part of the tree in concentric lines of r...