DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 293 
A tree with peltate, ovate, acuminate leaves, bearing fruit inclosed in an inflated, 
globular involucel, having a circular orifice, which gives to it its Samoan name, 
signifying ‘iris’? (of the eye). Leaves on long petioles marked with a red or a 
white area at the point of attachment of the petiole, which is near the base, 5 to 
9-nerved and remotely feather-veined, the larger ones nearly 30 cm. long, the upper 
ones much smaller; flowers unisexual, in panicles shorter than the leaves, almost 
clustered on the branches, one terminal female between two males within a whorl of 
4 bracts, and sometimes one or two males lower down with a small bract under each 
pedicel; perianth-segments in two rows, slightly pubescent, in the male flowers 3 in 
each row, almost petal-like, veined, about two lines long; stamens 3, shorter than 
the segments, with short filaments; female flowers with a cup-shaped, entire, trun- 
cate involucel a little below the ovary, 3 mm. long at the time of flowering, but soon 
enlarged and growing over the ovary or perianth tube; perianth tube of female 
flowers from the first completely adnate to the fleshy ovary, the segments 4 in each 
row, the outer ones ovate, the inner ones narrow; glands or staminodia 4, large and 
nearly globular, opposite the outer perianth segments; style short, thick, with a 
dilated irregularly lobed stigma, the whole style deciduous with the perianth lobes; 
fruit completely inclosed in the involucel, which has become inflated, globular, 
smooth, and fleshy, above 3.5 em, in diameter with a circular entire orifice of about 
12 mm. in diameter; fruit about 2.5 cm. in diameter marked with eight broad raised 
longitudinal ribs, with a raised terminal umbo; seed very hard, about 19 mm. in 
diameter; embryo divided into 4 or 5 thick fleshy lobes. 
The wood is very light and soft and takes fire readily from a flint and steel. It 
has been used in Guam for making canoes, but they soon become water-logged and 
useless if unpainted and left exposed to the weather. The bark, seed, and young 
leaves are slightly purgative, and the juice of the leaves is a depilatory, destroying 
hair without pain.¢ Distributed in tropical Asia, Africa, and Australia, and east- 
ward in the Pacific as far as Tahiti. 
REFERENCES: 
Hernandia peltata Meissn. in DC. Prod. 15': 263, 1864. 
Hernandia sonora Endlicher, not L. Same as H. peltata, 
Herpestis monniera. Same as Bucopa monniera, 
Herpetica alata. RINGWORM BUSH. 
Family Caesalpiniaceae. ; 
LocaL NAMEs.—Acapulco (Guam); Captilao, Gamot sa buni (Philippines); Lau- 
refio (Panama); Guacamaya francesa (Cuba); Talantala (Porto Rico); Taratana 
(Mexico). 
A shrub 2 to 3 meters high with terminal racemes of showy yellow flowers. 
Branches thick, finely downy; leaves devoid of glands, subsessile, abruptly pinnate, 
30 to 60 em. long; stipules deltoid, persistent; leaflets 6 to 14 pairs, oblong, obtuse, 
5 to 15 cm. long, minutely mucronate, rigidly subcoriaceous, glabrous or obscurely 
downy beneath, broadly rounded, oblique at the base; rachis narrowly winged on 
each side of the face; racemes peduncled, 15 to 30cm. long; bracts large, membra- 
nous, caducous; corolla yellow, distinctly veined; stamens very unequal; pod mem- 
branous, with a broad wing down the middle of each valve; straight, glabrous, 10 to 
20 em. long by 12 to 14 mm. broad; seeds 50 or more. 
This shrub was introduced into Guam from Acapulco, whence it takes its local 
name. Its leaves are used by the natives as a remedy for skin diseases, and espe- 
cially for ringworm. 
REFERENCES: 
Herpetica alata (L.) Raf. Sylva Tellur. 123, 1838. 
Cassin alata L. Sp. Pl. 1: 378, 1753. 
a¢Watt, Economic Products of India, vol. 4, p. 225, 1890. 
