The Ambonese Herbal, Vol. 2 (Herbarium Amboinense) (1741) - Page 8

II Book. II Chapter. AMBOINESE HERBAL.

...cloves, but that Pliny Gaius Plinius Secundus, Roman naturalist truly took the Cabelettas original: "Cabelettas"; likely a reference to a type of small berry or cubeb for the true fruit, which in fact resemble a peppercorn, and took the Cloves themselves for the stalks; just as he, in another place, took the red Corals which one strings on cords for the fruits of the Coral-tree, and moreover ascribes a pleasant scent to his Caryophyllum Latin: clove. Thus, Cloves would have been known to the Western world long before Paulus Aegineta A 7th-century Byzantine Greek physician, which presents a difficulty, as one finds no mention of them by any older authors.

but that Pliny took the Cabeletten for the right fruit, which in fact resemble a Peppercorn, and the Cloves for the stalks, just as he in another place took the red Corals, which one strings on cords, for the fruits of the Coral-tree, and moreover ascribes a good smell to his Caryophyllum. Therefore the Cloves would have been known to the Western world long before Paulus Aegineta, which has its difficulty, since one finds no mention thereof by any older Authors.

EXPLANATION

Of the First Plate,

Showing a branch of the Caryophyllus Clove tree laden with flowers and fruits; called Tijenke by the Malays.

A. Gagang Malay: stalk, or the first beginnings of the Cloves.
B. Complete Cloves.
C. Flowering Cloves.
D. Mother-cloves, or Anthophylli The mature, fertilized fruit of the clove tree.
E. The internal little stone of the Mother-cloves.
F. A caterpillar, which in certain years bores through the Clove tree itself.
G. An oblong worm, which devours the branches and the midribs of the leaves along the length a b.

EXPLANATION

Of the First Plate,

Representing a branch of the Clove tree with its flower and fruits, named Tijenke by the Malays,

A. Gagang, or the first creations of the Cloves.
B. The full-grown Cloves.
C. Flowering Cloves.
D. The Mother-cloves.
E. The innermost kernel of the Mother-cloves.
F. A Caterpillar, which in some years bites through the Clove tree.
G. An oblong Worm, which gnaws through the branches and twigs in the length a b.

OBSERVATION.

The CARYOPHYLLUM has been named by various people, but described by no authors as well as by our Rumphius. It is named by Plukenet in Almagestum page 88: Aromatic Clove of the East Indies, with club-shaped single-seeded fruit original Latin: "CARYOPHYLLUS AROMATICUS Indiæ Orientalis, fructu clavato Monopyreno" and is shown in Phytographia Plate 155, Figure 1. By Caspar Bauhin in Pinax page 410: Aromatic Clove with oblong fruit original Latin: "CARYOPHYLLUS AROMATICUS fructu oblongo", and by Breyne in Prodromus 2 page 49 of the second Edition. Tournefort in Institutiones page 661. By Dalechamps in History of Lyon page 1759: Aromatic Cloves original Latin: "CARYOPHYLLI AROMATICI", and by Johann Bauhin part 1, page 423: Indian Cloves original Latin: "CARYOPHYLLI INDICI". By Clusius in Exotica page 16, and Acosta. By Piso in Mantissa aromatica page 177: TSCHINKA. See further the Hortus Cliffortianus page 207 and Samuel Dale's Pharmacologia page 323, who exhibits various synonyms in addition, and Medical virtues. As also Weinmann in Phytanthoza page 62, Plate 324, letter a. and Rumphius's Observation 21 page 50, decade 2, year 1 of the Naturæ Curiosorum concerning Cloves, as well as Valentini's Museum Museorum Book 2, Section V, Chapter VII, page 449, Plate 2, and François Valentyn's Description of Amboina page 144, No. XXXI, and Blackwell's Herbal Plate 338.

REMARK.

The CLOVE TREE is named by various Writers, yet by no one so well described as by our Rumphius; by Plukenet in his Almagestum page 88 it is named Aromatic Clove of the East Indies, with club-shaped single-seeded fruit, and in his Phytographia Plate 155, Fig. 1 depicted. By Caspar Bauhin in his Pinax page 410 it is named Aromatic Clove with oblong fruit; and by Breyne, in his Second Prodromus page 49 of the second Edition; and Aromatic Cloves by Dalechamps in his History of Lyon page 1759; by J. Bauhin History first part, page 423 Indian Cloves. By Clusius Exotica page 16 and Acosta by Clusius page 267; by Piso in his Aromatic Mantissa page 177 TSCHINKA. See further the Hortus Cliffortianus page 207 and Samuel Dale in his Pharmacologia page 323, who gives yet various names and their powers. As also Weinmann in the manifold naming and Description of plants page 76, Plate 324, letter a, and Rumphius's Observation 21 page 50, decade 2, year 1 concerning Cloves; as also Valentini Museum Museorum Book 2, Section V, Chapter VII, page 440, Plate 2, and François Valentyn Description of Amboina page 144, No. 31, and Blackwell Herbal Plate 338.

CHAPTER TWO.

Cultivation, Harvest, & Virtues of Cloves.

Since, as has been said, Cloves were transferred into Amboina from other places, they must be cultivated and handled here with greater care than in their natural fatherland Makian etc., where the climate produces them spontaneously, and they sprout without any labor: On the contrary, here in Amboina they must be diligently cultivated by the inhabitants, and even planted where they are desired: The younger small trees love the shade of other trees, but not a dense one; however, if they have become more mature, the remaining wild trees must be rooted out so that they may be more fertile, and only one or two fruit-bearing trees should be left on any side, so that a forest planted with Clove trees is of a pleasant appearance and suitable for walks, since no wild or larger plants are left there. This cause being unknown to certain writers, they thought and indicated that Cloves were of such a hot nature that no herbs could grow under this tree, which however is mostly prevented by the continuous labor of men: For if the Clove trees are not cleaned, wild herbs grow so closely and abundantly against them that they perish or take on a wild nature. Indeed, Cloves must not be placed so closely that they touch each other, for such trees grow very high like Larches and do not give much fruit; it has also been found that the Clove grows happily among—

II. CHAPTER.

Cultivation, Harvest, and powers of the Cloves.

Because, as said, the Cloves in Amboina were brought over from elsewhere, so one must tend them there with somewhat more effort than in their natural Fatherland Makian etc., where that land allowed them to grow up of themselves, without doing any effort thereto: on the contrary here in Amboina they must be carefully observed by the Inhabitants, and planted where one wants to have them: the young little trees like to stand under the shade of some thin trees, but having become large, one must root out all the wild trees from between them, so that they become more fruitful, leaving only here and there a fruit tree standing, so that a right Clove-forest is very pleasant to look upon, and easy to walk through, since one lets no large overgrowth come up under them, which cause being unknown to some Writers, they have thought and claimed that the Cloves were of such a hot nature, that no greenery at all could grow under that tree, which however happens much more through the yearly labor of men: for if one does not clean and tend the Clove trees, then the wild overgrowth grows so thickly against them, that they stifle and grow wild: Yea even the Cloves may not stand so thick that they touch one another, for such shoot up as high as Firs, and do not bear well: one has also experienced that the Clove tree likes to stand among othe—