# A Voyage to the Islands Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S. Christophers and Jamaica/Volume 1/Book 1/Chapter 13

Chap. XIII.
Of Plants that are rough leav'd, called Asperifoliæ.
I. Heliotropium arboreum, maritimum, tomentosum, Gnaphalii Americani foliis. Cat. p. 93.
This rose to a Man's heighth, had a straight Stem or Trunc, wooddy, firm, and solid, as big as ones thumb, with a pretty large Pith, a Bark all covered over with Down or Tomentum, smooth and white. Towards the top it had many Branches going out on every Hand, which are very thick set with a great number of Leaves round them, being each of them three Inches long, and not over an eighth part of an Inch broad near the round top, where broadest, being at the beginning narrow, and increasing to that place. They are succulent, thick, and covered over with very much white Down, looking something like the Leaves of the Gnaphalium Americanum. The tops are branched out into several Spikes of white Flowers, contorted like a Scorpions Tail, or the Heliotropes, to which in every thing they are like.
It grew on a sandy Bay to the Eastward of Bridgetown in Barbados, and on the Sea side between Passage Fort and Old Harbour in Jamaica.
II. Heliotropium maritimum minus, folio glauco, flore albo. Cat. p. 94. Tab. 132. Fig. 3. Heliotropium Americanum minus glabrum folio angusto glauco Breyn. prod. 2. p. 55. Heliotropium Americanum procumbens facie alini umbilicati. Herm. par. Bat. p. 183. Heliotropium monospermum Indicum procumbens glaucophyllon floribus albis. Plukenet. Phyt. Tab. 36. Fig. 3. Almag. p. 182. An Totecy Xochiuh. Hernandez. p. 432? Wild Sampier.
This has several three or four Inches long Roots, white, and when united sending up three or four Branches of the same length. The Stalks of it are round, green, juicy, and white, on the surface. The Leaves are set very thick in Tufts, some smaller, and others bigger, being an Inch long, and a quarter of an Inch broad in the middle where broadest, juicy, pale green, covered over with a white Meal, glaucous, being like the Leaves of Echium maritimum, P.B. or Cerinthe. Towards the tops of the Branches stand the Flowers. They are many on the upperside of the Stalk, white, and turn'd like a Scorpions Tail, or those of the other Heliotropes.
It grows in Salt marshy Grounds near the Sea-side, by the Canoes, old Harbour and Passage Fort.
When I printed my Catalogue of Jamaica Plants, I did not think Doctor Plukenet had any where figured this Plant, neither should I now, (his figure being not very exact) did he not say so in his Mantissa, p. 100. where he blames me for taking the synonimous names I have in my Catalogue from his Phytographia, whereas he has none there but his own name, and one out of Breynius's second Prodromus, which was not then taken notice of by me, and therefore is not mentioned.
III. Heliotropium Americanum cæruleum, foliis hormini. Dodart. Cat. p. 94. Wild Clary.
​The Stalk of this Plant is large, green, round, wooddy, crooked, and rises to a Foot high. The Branches are small, and hairy, sustaining Leaves just like those of Clary, whence the name. The Flowers are many, pentapetalous, of a pale blue colour, set in a double row on the upperside of the Branches, and turn'd like a Scorpions Tail, like the other Heliotropes. After which follow several cornered, brown Seeds.
It grows about the Town of St. Jago de la Vega very plentifully in Jamaica, and in the Caribe Islands on dry Grounds.
It is cleansing, and having a consolidating quality, is good against Wounds and Ulcers; it is likewise good against most hot Cutaneous Diseases. Piso.
If this be the Bena-patsia. H.M. the Authors of that Book say that boiled in Coconut-Oil, it cures the Disease called Pitao by drying, and is given in the poysonous bites of the great Fox Jakhalfen.
IV. Heliotropium Carassavicum hormini foliis angustioribus. Hort. Beaumont. Cat. p. 94.
This was larger than the precedent, having Leaves on its Stalk, usually taking their original opposite to one another, being narrow at the beginning, and pointed at their ends, not so rough as the precedent, nor blunt as it, but more glabrous or smooth. The Spikes sometimes come opposite to the Leaves, and are slenderer than those of the precedent.
It grew in one of the Caribes, where I found it.
V. Heliotropium minus, Lithospermi foliis. Cat. p. 95. Tab. 132. Fig. 4.
This Plant resembles very much the Lithospermum arvense radice rubra. C.B. only 'tis smaller. It has a small straight root, dark brown colour'd, from whence springs up one Stalk, three or four Inches high, divided into so many Branches, which are bowed or reflex'd like a Scorpions Tail, or the other Heliotropes. The Leaves come out alternatively, and are like those of Grommil, only smaller. The Flowers are white, pentapetalous, and plac'd like those of the other Heliotropes. After which follow the Seeds, four being always together, each of which is almost triangular, of a dark brown colour, and irregular form.
It grows very plentifully every where in the Town Savanna's after Rain.