PIMENTO, PIMENTA, ALLSPICE, or JAMAICA PEPPER, a well-known spice, is the dried fruit of eugenia pimento (see EUGENIA), a small West Indian tree, which grows to the height of 20 or 30 ft., and has oblong or oval leaves about 4 in. long, of a deep shill ing green, and numerous axillary and terminal trichotomous panicles of white flowers, followed by small dark-purple berries. The pimento tree is much cultivated in some of the West Indian islands. It is a very beautiful tree, with straight trunk and much branching head, and about the month of July is covered with an exuberance of flowers, which diffuse a rich aromatic odor. The leaves and bark partake of the aromatic prop erty for which the fruit is valued. The fruit, when ripe, is filled with a sweet pulp, and the aromatic property, which so strongly characterizes it in an 'unripe state, has in a great measure disappeared. The gathering of the berries, therefore, takes place as soon as they have reached their full size, which is about that of pepper-corns. They are
gathered by the hand, and dried iu the sun on raised wooden floors, during which pro cess great care is taken, by turning and winnowing, to prevent them from being injured by moisture. Their color- changes iu drying from green to reddish-brown. When dry they are packed in bags for the market. Same planters kiln-dry them.—The name allspice was given to pimento from a supposed resemblance in flavor to a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Pimento is much employed in cookery, and is also used iu medi cine as a carminative and stimulant to prevent the griping of purgatives and to disguise the taste of nauseous drugs. It depends for its properties chiefly on a volatile oil, oil of pimento, which is obtained from it by distillation with water, and is sometimes used to relieve toothache, and for making the spirit of pimento (or of allspice) and inmento (or allspice) water of the shops.