a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the decandra class of plants.—The most remarkable species are, 1. The elemifera, or shrub which bears the gum elemi, a native of America. It grows to the height of about six feet, producing trifoliated stiff shining leaves, growing opposite to one another on footstalks two inches long. At the ends of the branches grow four or five slender stalks set with many very small white flowers. 2. The opobalsamum is an ever-green shrub, growing spontaneously in Arabia, from whence the opobalsam, or balm of gilead, is procured. 3. Toxiferia, or poison-wood, is a small tree, with a smooth light-coloured bark. Its leaves are winged; the middle rib is seven or eight inches long, with pairs of pinnae one against another on inch-long footstalks. The fruit hangs in bunches, is shaped like a pear, and is of a purple colour, covering an oblong hard stone. From the trunk of this tree distils a liquid as black as ink. Birds feed on the fruit; particularly one, called the purple gros-beak, on the mulberry that covers the stone. It grows usually on rocks, in Providence, Netherland, and others of the Bahama islands. The other species of this plant mentioned by Linnaeus are, the silvatica, the maritima, gilcadenis, protium, and balzamfera.