346 



Buchnexa mexicana (?) llemshiy, Biol. ('cnt.-Ainer. li. 157 (18X2), Coliiiia, .laiin 

 ary !» ti) February (?, 18!ll. No. 1168. 



SpoeinieuH foiiiid in jxior comlition, and hence the specific deternniii>ti(»ii is 

 soiiievviijit uucoitaiii. 



BIGNONIACEiE. 



Bignonia miguis-cati (?) L, Sp. I'J. ii. ()23 (1753), Climbing over suiall trees and 

 bushcM, Manzanilio, December 1 to 31, IX'JO. No. 1072, 



This IS doubtfully relerrod here, as the .specimens arc without Howers orl'ruit, 

 but it agrees withC. Wright's specimens from Nicara,gna collected mi tiie Kiug- 

 golil and Rogers Kxploiiuj;- Expedition, 1853-1856. 



Tabebuia domiell-smithii Ifose, Hot. Gaz. xvii. 418, t. 2tt (181)2) A tree 50 to 75 

 feet liigh, often 4 feet in diameter : leaves palmately compound onlong])cduncle8 

 5 to 10 inches long; leallets 7, very variable in size (the largest on petiolnles t 

 to 3* inches long), oldong to ovate, acuminate, rounded or truncate at bast*, 

 serrate, glabrate in age, 2 to 10 inches long, often 3 inches broad: liowers 

 arranged in a largo terminal panicle of small cymes, 8 inches long, with short 

 glandular-jiubescence throughout : cymes few-tlowered, with deciduous scarions 

 bracls; i)ediccls 6 lines long: calyx closed in hud, deei)ly cleft and two-li]iped 

 iu llo wer, 6 lines long : corolla yellow, tubular, 5-lobed ; tube 1 to 1 J inches long ; 

 limb li inches broad: stamens 1, included, didyuamous; filaments incurved, 

 glabrous ex(;ept at base; anthi'r cells glabrous, oblong; sterile filament li lines 

 long: ovary sessile: pods 12 inches or more long, lO-ribbod, glandular-pubescent 

 and loculicidally dehiscent: seeds iu 2 rows. Common on the niountaiiis about 

 Colima and cultivated about the town. CoUectedby Capt. JohuDouncll Smith, 

 at Ciiyuta in the department of Kscniutla, at an altitude of 200 feet, April, 

 181K), No. 2070; and, also, by Dr. Kdward I'almcr, at Colima, January 9 to Feb- 

 ruary 6, 1891. No. 1098. 



■ This is said to be one of the most beautiful trees of Mexico, and i.s called 

 " rrimavera." fhe (lowers are of a beautiful golden yellow, i)rodu<ed in great 

 abundance, and generally appearing before the leave.s. The trees are often large, 

 sometimes I leet in diameter, and the wood very valuable. The trunks are cut 

 into htgs about 12 feet in length and shipped from Manzanilio, in the State of 

 Colima, to the Fnited States, principally to Cincinnati and Siiu Francisco, where 

 they are much used for cabinetwork and veneering. The tree is very com- 

 mon ill the lower part of the department of Escuintla; it is tall and slender, 

 usually leafless, and with the profuse delicate yellow llowers standing out against 

 the sky like golden clouds. 



Tlie foUowing note is from a letter of J. D. Smith, .lanuary 7, 1892 : "The trees 

 were too branchless for my servant to climb, too stout for him to fell with his 

 machete, and too high for me to discern what manner <»f leaves were those which 

 occasionally showed themselves among the llowers. My dowers were all picked 

 up oil the ground. I think there must be many trees iu those countries of which 

 botanists have not been able easily to collect specimens, and which, therefore, 

 remain unknown."' 



I have not been able to place iu any known species this interesting tree. It 

 seems curious that a tree so widely distributed, of such attractive flowers, and 

 of some commercial importance should have remained unknown to botanists. 

 The species, wliile not agreeing in all respects with Tabebuia, answers better to 

 this than to any other known genus. In its inflorescence and ribbed pods it is 

 mon^ like Godmannia and Cijhhtax, but does not agree in other particulars. 



Since the above descri])tion of this tree was publiished by mo in the Botani<'al 

 Gazette 1 have written to several New York dealers in imported woods and learn 

 that they are well acquainted with it. I give two of these letters. Mr. John 

 K. Graham wrote, under date of December 29, 1892 : 



