107 



Heliotropium phyllostachyum Torr. Only a few plants found growing on a creek 

 bottom. Alamos. September 16 to 30. No. 637. 



Krynitzkia micromeres Gray, This plant is very common on sandy bottoms. 

 Alamos. September 16 to 30. No. 397. 



Ipomoea murucoides Eoem. & Schnltz, var. glabrata Gray. This plant is witliout 

 leaves (except very young ones), and its appearance is peculiar; as it is now 

 apparently for the first time collected in fruit, we append a description. A tree 

 20 to 30 feet high, 1 foot or more in diameter, with smooth bark and numerous 

 branches: leaves (immature) about 1 inch long, ovate-lanceolate, strongly reticu- 

 late and pubescent below: racemes terminal, many flowered: calyx as well as 

 pedicels and young branches puberulent : sepals oval, obtuse, 5 lines long: 

 corolla about 2 inches long, white, yellowish below : filaments pubescent at 

 base: capsule 10 lines long, 2-celled, 4- valve, 4-seeded: seeds 5 lines in length, 

 oblong, with a long coma upon the sides. The tree is called " Palo sauto," and 

 is very abundant about Alamos. No. 316. 



The wood is of no commercial value. The Mexicans use the ashes for soap- 

 making. Dr. Palmer says : " But one flower of a raceme opens at a time, and the 

 large tree, devoid of foliage, and with only 3 or 4 large flowers, presents a pecu- 

 liar appearance". The flowers of onr plant are similar to Gray's type (Palmer's 

 No. 703, of 1886), and Pringhi's No. 2443 (of 1889), from near the same locality, 

 but the sepals are shorter and obtuse and not glabrate. The sepals resemble 

 Hemsley's figure of the species, which is probably Gray's form. According to 

 dates on the title pages, it appears that II. B. K.'s specific name macraniha is older 

 by one year than Roem. and Schnltz, and if the oldest specific name is used, 

 Don's combination should be taken up. Convolvulus macranthus H. B. K. Gen. 

 et Spec, iii. 95; Ipomoea murucoides Rocm. & Sohultz, iv. 248; fyomoea macrantha 

 Don. Gen. Syst. iv. 267. 



Ipomoea bracteata Cav. This is a climbing plant and without loaves, but with long 

 racemes of flowers with large purple bracts. It is called " Zicana." It has large 

 tubers, like sweet potatoes, which are eaten raw by the Mexicans. Alamos. 

 March 30 to April 8. No, 313. 

 Ipomoea Grayi, n. sp. High climbing, glabrous or nearly so : leaves orbicular 

 to broadly ovate, 1^ to 3 inches long, truncate or somewhat cordate at base, on 

 peduncles 2 to 5 inches long : peduncles variable, 1| to 3 lines long, 1 to several- 

 flowered: pedicels l\ to 2^ inches long, somewhat thickened in fruit: sepals 3 

 to 4 lines long, broad and obtuse : corolla purple, 3 inches broad : stamens short, 

 included; capsule glabrous, ovate, 7 to 8 lines long, 4-valved, 2-celled, 4-8eeded : 

 seeds 3i lines long, densely puberulent.— Alamos. September 16 to 30. No. 710. 

 Also collected by Dr. Palmer in SW. Chihuahua (1885). No. 102. This is a 

 I>rofu8e bloomer and a vigorous plant, climbing over fences, walls, and the high- 

 est trees. 

 I. ruhro-ecerulea^ Gray, non Hooker. Proc. Amer. Acad. xxi. 434. 

 I. vioJacea Gray in herb, non L. To this latter species should be referred, accord- 

 ing to herbarium note of Dr. Gray, J. rubro-cwrulea of Hemsley. Biol. Cent.- 

 Amer, ii. 393, I, Grayi difi'ers from /. ruiro-cwrulea in its calyx teeth not being 

 "subulate-linear," the color of the corolla, and somewhat in the shape of the leaves. 

 Its alliances seem to be with I. pedicellaris Benth. of Central America, and with- 

 out seeing the type it is hard to separate the two. 



'After the above was prepared and sent to the printer, a letter was received from 

 Sir Joseph Hooker from which the following note, respecting this plant, is taken: 

 "Mr. Henisley has told me that your Ipomoea is quite distinct from /. ruiro-cwrtilea 

 in the calyx, and also from /. pedicellaris which has an open sinus to the leaf." 



27C87— No. 4 2 [June 30, 1891.] 



