J 



90 



CONTRIHUTION?' FHOM THE NATIONAL HKRHARIUil. 



Dasylirion lucidum Rose, sp. nov. 



Stems Olio to two meters liigli, crowned by a cluster of leaves; leaves 40 to 60 cm. 

 long, 12 to 13 mm. broad above the enlarged batse, j2;rccnish-yellow, smooth and 

 shining: on botli surfaces, the marginal teeth red<litsh brown, tlie edge serrulate 

 between the teeth, the apex re^^olving into a long tuft of fibers; inflorescence panic- 

 ulate, 2 to 3 meters hi^^li including Ihe peduncle; male racemes ratluT ^slender, 5 to 

 6 cm, long; fruiting panicle narrow and dense, the racemes appressed to the main 



is; pedicels shoit, articulated near the apex; perianth lobes 2 mm. long, obtuse; 



fruit 7 mm. long, 5 mm. broad, rounded at base, retuse at apex, .'J^winged, the wings 

 rounded at apex and distinct from the short but evident style; ovules G; seeds one, 

 somewhat 3-angled in section. 



Type U. S. National Herbarium no. 453508, collected l>y Rose and Painter on the 

 limestone hills west of TehuacAn, Puebla, September 1, 1905 (no. 10009), and in 

 flower earlier the same year (June) by Dr. C, A, l*uri)us (no. 1253a). 



This species is perhaps nearest Ih mratifoHuiu but is certainly distinct, that species 

 having broader scabrous, yellow-sj>inedj an<l dull-colored leaves, J. 0. Baker states 

 that the wings are adnate to the style, but an exjunination of the figure cited by 

 him does not clearly bear this out. I find no record of fruit having been collected 

 by anyone except Karwinsky, 



CALIBAN US, 



Calibanus Kose, gen. nov. 



Plants dioecious; flowers, both male and female, arranged in short and l>road pan- 

 icles; perianth segments G, orbicular, obtuse; stamens 6, only slightly exserted; ovary 

 3'Celled, G-oviiled; fruit globular, 1-seeded, thick-walled, not bursting when ripe; 

 seed globose or somewhat 3^angled; trunk a large globular body covered with thick 

 bark; leaves appearing in fascicles over the surface, linear, entire or sei'rulate to the 

 touch; panicles arising with the leaf clusters, leafless. 



This genus is nearest Nolina, but differs greatly iti its habit and in its globular, 

 thick-walled, 1-seeded fruit. It is very different both in liabit, inlh^rescence, and 

 fruit from Basylirion, to which it has long been referred. Its globular trimk sug- 

 gests Beaucarnea, in which it was once placed by T. G, Baker, but its fruit excludes 

 it from that genus. 



The genus is named for Shakespeare's Caliban 

 Calibanus caespitosus (Schcidw.) Rose. 



Plates XXIV, XXV. Figfkk 4. 



Basyllvlon caa^pltosum Schcidw. AVoehenschrift Verein Gartenb. 4: 280. 1861. 



Dasyllriou, Jiookeri Lemaire, ITort. Belg. 16: 



824. 1805, 



Beaacamea huokeri Baker, Journ. 15ot. 1872: 



1^27. 1872. 



riant body prupur 30 to 100 cm. in diameter 



covered with a thick corky bark like that of an 



oak, within of loose cellular structure, resting 



upon the ground like a puffbali and attached 



Fig. 4.— Fruit of CaUhanus caespifoi^^ns. 

 a, Side viow; h^ cross section sliuwiui; 

 seed; c, cross section showing undevel- 

 oped ovules at base. AH scale '2. 



J ■ ^ - 



-. T h 



to the earth only by small fibrous roots; leaves 80 to 90 cm. long, linear, 2 U) 2.5 mm. 

 broad, i)ale green, slightly serrulate, striate; panicle 10 to 20 cm. long, about 10 cm. 

 broad, the horizontal branches quite rigid; segments of the flo\Yer orbicular, scarious- 

 margined, purpUsh; fruit 5 to 7 nun, in diameter. 



Specimevs examined: 



San Luis Potosi: Near City of San Luis Potosf, C. R. Orcutt, 1903 (trunk only); 



Dr. E. Palmer, 1905 (numerous plants but no flowers). - 

 Hidalgo: Near Ixmiquilpan, Eose & Painter, 1905 (no. 8954) with male and 

 female flowers and immature fruit; Dr, C. A. Purpus, same date and pi 



also later, in fruit. 

 This plant was illustrated in the Botanical Magazine for 1859 (jd. 601)9) under the 

 name of DasyUrion hartwegJaniim, the plate being accompanied 1.)y the following note: 



