Curatella
(from curatus, worked; the leaves, which have a rough surface, are employed in Guiana for polishing bows, sabres, and other weapons). ORD. Dilleniaceae. A genus containing a couple of species of very ornamental dwarf stove evergreen shrubs, with white flowers, winged petioles, and ovate rough leaves. They thrive in a compost of loam and peat. Ripened cuttings will root freely if planted in a pot of sand, with a hand glass placed over them, in heat. Probably the only one in cultivation is the following: C. americana (American).* fl. white; racemes issuing from the adult branches. l. ovate, repand, and somewhat denticulated, very rough, running along the petiole at the base. h. 10ft. South America. The bark of this shrub is thick, wrinkled, and cracked, and falls off in large pieces.