HERNANDRIA, JACK-IN-A-BOX TREE; a genus of the triandra order, belonging to the monœcia class of plants.
Species. 1. The sonora, or common jack-in-a-box, is a native of the West Indies. It grows 20 or 30 feet high; and is garnished with broad peltated leaves, and monœcious flowers, succeeded by a large swollen hollow fruit formed of the calix; having a hole or open at the end, and a hard nut within. The wind blowing into the cavity of this fruit makes a very whistling and rattling noise, whence comes the name. 2. The ovigera grows many feet high, garnished with large oval leaves not peltated; and monœcious flowers, succeeded by a swollen fruit open at the end, and a nut within.
Culture. Both these plants being tender exotics, must be planted in pots of rich earth, and always kept in a hot-house; in which, notwithstanding all the care that can be taken, they seldom flower, and never grow beyond the height of common shrubs, tho' in the places where they are natives they arrive at the height of trees. They are propagated by seeds procured from the West Indies.