in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the hexandra clas of plants. There is only one species, a native of America, discovered by Father Plumier, and found growing naturally at La Vera Cruz by Dr Houtton. It rises with a shrubby stalk, eight, or ten feet high, dividing into several branches, having at their ends clusters of small scarlet-coloured flowers, succeeded by oval berries with a pulpy covering, and a hard shell with one cell, enclosing several compressed seeds. It is propagated by seeds, which should be sown soon after they are ripe; otherwise they are very apt to miscarry, or lie a year in the ground without germinating. The plants require always to be kept in a bark-flute.