THE AMBOINESE HERBAL

HET AMBOINSCHE KRUYD-BOEK.

BOOK THE SECOND,

HET TWEEDE BOEK.

CHAPTER ONE.

I. HOOFDSTUK.

THE CLOVE TREE, TSJENCKE.

NAGELBOOM, TSJENCKE.

original: "Caryophyllum" (Latin) and "Nagelboom" (Dutch). The name "Nagel" or "Clave" refers to the spice's resemblance to a small nail.

The Clove is the most beautiful, most elegant, and most precious of all trees known to me; in its form, it most closely resembles the Laurel, specifically with its pointed crown, and it reaches the height of a common Cherry tree, though some have the form of a Beech. Its trunk is erect and single up to a height of four or five feet, where it often divides into two or three upright smaller trunks; there are also those that bear only a single rounded trunk, but these are not much sought after by the inhabitants The local people of the Ambon islands, who prefer the former, as those with a single erect stem are difficult to climb. The lower part of the trunk is not perfectly round, but somewhat angular, as if it were grown together from various stems.

Its bark is smooth, thin, and joined firmly to the wood, as in the Beech, and it puts out many thin branches everywhere on the sides, from which many long, thin leaf-bearing twigs sprout, as in the Birch; these surround the tree on all sides, extending from the lower part in a wide expanse and gradually narrowing to a point at the top, so that the entire crown forms a regular pyramid or cone, by which shape the tree is easily distinguished and recognized from afar among other trees.

Its wood is hard, so that even a thin or moderately thick branch can easily support a man. The leaves are always placed two-by-two opposite each other, forming a cross with the subsequent pair; in shape they are very similar to Laurel leaves, but narrower, thinner, and longer, sitting upon long stalks. They are pointed at both ends, dark green on the upper side and yellowish on the lower, marked and woven with many closely joined and parallel veins, all of which terminate in a single border at the edges. The edges of the leaves are smooth and whole, not at all notched, but by their stiffness they form many curves and arches. These leaves are so smooth and shining on their upper part as if they were coated with gum; when the leaves are old, they are much stiffer and drier, so that they can be crushed, and they are then marked with dark or blood-red spots, having a sharp and aromatic taste; when they first sprout, however, they are reddish or light brown.

At the beginning of the rainy months, namely in the month of May, these tender leaves sprout in great abundance, and soon after these follow the first buds or beginnings of the fruits, which are green points hanging at the ends of the twigs; these quickly change into green, oblong heads with a broad top, from which the first form of the Cloves can be recognized. In the fourth month following, they take on the complete appearance of Cloves, being widely extended at the top and divided into four distinct corners, resembling the heads of Flax original: "Lini capitula" / "vlasdodden", and thus constituting the shape of a small nail.

This Clove fruit gradually loses its bright green color and takes on a pale yellow hue, which finally turns to blood-red, specifically in those that are of the red variety; for those which are called "females" Rumphius uses "male" and "female" to distinguish between different stages or types of clove development, a common pre-Linnaean botanical distinction, and are larger than the males, only turn red at the four upper corners; then the uppermost head opens, or turns to the side, at which time many small, whitish threads appear closely joined together with brown tips, which form and produce the flower of this tree, appearing after the fruits are grown but not yet fully ripe.

The Clove tree is one of the most beautiful, most decorative, as well as most precious among all trees known to me; it resembles the Laurel tree very well in appearance, namely with its pointed crown, and has the height of a common Cherry tree, some also of a Beech tree; the trunk shoots straight up, and remains single until the height of 4 to 5 feet, after which it divides into 2 or 3 upright lesser trunks, and there are also those that have only a single rounded trunk, though the Inhabitants do not seek these much, or rather would have them otherwise; as they are difficult to climb: The lower part is not perfectly round, but somewhat angular, as if it were grown together from several trunks.

The bark is smooth, not thick, and lies tight or close to the wood, like that on the Beech tree; on the sides it shoots out many thin branches everywhere, and on those many long thin twigs, like the Birch tree, and these twigs surround or encompass the tree, from the bottom gradually narrowing or tapering to a point at the top, so that the entire crown forms a neat pyramid or cone, and which shape makes it recognizable from afar among other trees.

It has a hard wood, so that even a common thin branch is strong enough to carry a man; the leaves always stand two against each other, and make a cross with the next pair, coming close to the Laurel leaves in shape, but narrower, thinner, and longer, standing on long stalks, more pointed or narrower at the back than the front, on the upper side high green, on the lower pulling towards yellow, streaked with many dense parallel and fine veins, which all run together in a border at the edges; the edges are smooth, and not at all notched, but through their stiffness they make many little arches; on the upper side they are as smooth and shiny as if they were smeared with gum; when they become old, they are much stiffer and drier, so that one can crush them, and are then sprinkled with some dark or blood-red drops, sharp and aromatic in taste; when they first come out, they are reddish, or light brown.

In the beginning of the rainy monsoon, namely in the month of May, the young leaves come forth in multitude, and immediately the first creations of the fruit appear, which are some green points, coming out at the ends of the twigs, and which then further change into dark green and oblong buds, with a broad little head, by which one can already recognize the fashion of the Cloves; in the fourth month thereafter they have the shape of full-grown Cloves, namely above with a broad little head, divided into four corners, having on top a green and half-round bud, much resembling flax-heads, and so making out the shape of a small nail.

The Clove gradually loses its light green color, and begins to become pale yellow, and at last blood-red, namely those that are of the red sort; for those that one calls females, and fall somewhat larger than the males, only become red at the 4 corners above, and then the uppermost bud opens itself, or gives way to the side, when there appear many small white threads, crowded close together, with brown nubs on top, which are the blossom of this tree, coming forth on, and after the full-