PITTIER—THE LECYTHIDACEAE OF COSTA RICA, 99 
the flora of South America, this is the only species that goes beyond the Isthmus 
of Panama. It is one of the most Conspicuous trees in the forests between 
Granada and Tortuga (Nicaragua), where it attracts the attention of the 
passer-by by its lofty trunk, regular round crown, and large, globose fruits, 
hanging in close clusters. I found mature fruits in February. These are called 
by the natives * zapotes del mico,” on account of their likeness to the true za- 
potes (Lucuma) and the readiness with which they are eaten by the monkeys. 
A closely allied species, C. guianensis, is known in Guiana under the name of 
cannonball tree.” 4 
As will be seen from the present paper, our knowledge of the species of the 
family north of Panama has somewhat improved since Oersted’s time, although 
much remains to be done. Complete specimens of Couroupita nicaraguarensis 
has never to my knowledge been collected, and I am aware of the presence of 
that tree in Costa Rica only because it came under my observation in 1891 at 
Salinas Bay (where it is also known as zapote de mico) and in Nicoya in 1903. 
The round fruits, slightly swollen along the calycinal band, were about 10 cm. 
in diameter and filled with a nauseous pulp surrounding numerous seeds. 
The flowers of the nearly related C. guiaqnensis, which is the type of the genus, 
are about 10 cm. in diameter, with petals 4.5 ecm, long and 3.5 cm. broad (Plate 
V). Its very much elongated racemes grow directly from the trunk and main 
limbs, as shown in Plate V (as well as Plate IV) taken at the Castleton Guar- 
dens in Jamaica by Mr. G. N. Collins. I do not remember having noticed any 
such arrangement in the Costa Rican zapote de mico, and the flowers escaped 
my attention. 
Plate V is natural size. 
Meirs 8 inclines to the belief that this species is identical with C. odoratissima 
Seemann. The above description settles the question in the negative. The 
leaves of C. nicaraguensis are obtuse and neither cuneate at the base nor 
abruptly acuminate at tip; the flower is 7.5 cm. in diameter, while it varies 
from 4 to 5 em. in Seemann’s plant; further, the anthers in our species are ses- 
sile on the appendages and not borne on capillary filaments, as is the case in the 
other one. 
Lecythis Loefl. Iter Hispan. 159. 1758. 
Flowers not quite epigynous, calyx and corolla with 6 (seldom 7) divisions; 
fertile stumens mostly on the disk; ovary 4 (or 5)-celled, style much longer 
than in the foregoing genera; pyxidium large, ovate, thick-walled, woody ; 
operculum deciduous; seeds typically 9, but oftener 4 to 9, in each of the 4 or 5 
cells, elongate and longitudinally suleate, with a woody, thick shell, covering a 
large embryo, edible in the Costa Rican species.—Trees generally of great size, 
with hard wood, elliptic leaves, and large racemes of white, pinkish, or yellow 
flowers, 
Lecythis costaricensis Pittier, sp. nov. Piates VI, VE, VIIL. Ficures 8, 4. 
A lofty tree, with shaft-like trunk about 25 meters high and 1 meter in 
diameter, and broadly spreading limbs; leaves oblong-lanceolate, subcordate at 
base and Jong-acuminate; margin serrate; petioles about 5 mm. long; inflo- 
rescence terminal; flowers not seen; pyxidium globose, 16 em. in diameter on 
the calyeary zone, 15.5 cm. total height, the basal part hemispherical, cup- 
shaped, obscurely 4-lobed; interzonary band about 5.5 cm. broad, of conical 
appearance; operculum dome-like, 2.7 cm, high, 9.56 cm. in diameter; calycary 
zone with 6 distinct protuberances corresponding to the sepals and each abruptly 
@Myrtaceae centroamericanae, Vidensk. Meddel. Kj6b. 1855:16. 1856-57, 
‘Trans. Linn. Soc. 80: 191, 
