50 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
USES AND COMMON NAMES. 
Most of the arboreous Middle American species of Lonchocarpus 
have a hard, fine-grained wood, and this could be put to many uses, 
but the trees grow very much scattered, and therefore the supply is 
small. Many of the species have hardly attracted the attention of 
the natives. Vernacular names have been reported for the following: 
Lonchocarpus costaricensis. Siete-cueros, Nicoya, Costa Rica. 
eriocarinalis. Palo de oro. Guerrero, Mexico. 
hondurensis. Gusano, Tabasco, Mexico. 
longistylus. Bal-ché, xbal-ché. Maya; Yucatan, Mexico. 
nicoyensis. Chaperno. Nicoya, Costa Rica, 
peninsularis. Chaperno. Nicoya, Costa Rica. 
rugosus. Masicaarén. Honduras. 
salvadorensis. Sangre de chucho; i-kua-pelo. Nahuizalco, El Salvador, the 
latter name in the corrupted Nahua dialect. 
sericeus. Cocorocho. Santa Rosa, Guatemala, 
velutinus. Gallote. Chiriqui, Panama. 
DESCRIPTIONS. 
GENUS, WITH KEY TO SPECIES. 
LONCHOCARPUS H. B. K. 
Calyx mostly cupulate, truncate or toothed. Standard usually suborbicular, some- 
times ovate, attenuate, auriculate, or callous-plicate at the base, rounded and emar- 
ginate at the apex; wings oblique-oblong to falcate, adhering to the keel above the 
claw; carinal petals obtuse, more or less falcate, cohering by the carinal margin. 
Stamens monadelphous, the staminal tube fenestrate at the base, entirely closed in 
the middle, the fenestrelle parted by the free base of the vexillar stamen. Ovary 
sessile or stipitate, 2 to 9-ovulate; style slender, arcuate or geniculate, the stigma 
usually capitellate and small. Legume broadly ovate to narrowly elongate, mem- 
branous or coriaceoys, the vexillar suture thin, thickened, or slightly winged; seeds 
1 to 4 or seldom more, flat-compressed, reniform and more or less orbicular. 
Trees or shrubs, with imparipinnate, alternate leaves; leaflets opposite, stipellate. 
Stipules rudimentary or caducous. Flowers white, pink, or purple, solitary, gemi- 
nate, or on a bifurcate peduncle, or else fasciculate. Inflorescence racemose, simple 
or ramified. Bracts and bractlets small, orbicular, ovate, or linear, early deciduous. 
Genus extending over tropical America, tropical] and austral Africa, Madagascar, and 
Australia, the Middle American species about 40. 
KEY TO THE MIDDLE AMERICAN SPECIES. 
Subgenus 1. EDLONCHOCARPUS. 
Series 1. IMpRESSINERVI. 
Section 1. PaHiLENopreRt, 
Ovules 7 or 8; legume 1 to 6-seeded, ferruginous-pubescent; leaflets pilosulous or gla- 
brescent; inflorescence distinctly paniculate. Petals deep pink. 
1. L. rugosus. 
Ovules 2 to 4; legume 1 or 2-seeded, glabrous; leaflets pubescent; inflorescences axil- 
lary. 
Leaves 7-foliolate; calyx and petals deep purple, the former grayish-pubescent 
Without............0. 0.0. e cece cece cece eee ceceeees 2. L. velutinus. 
Leaves 13 or 15-foliolate; calyx ferruginous-tomentose without..... 3. L. affinis. 
’ Two species from outside of Middle America are included without number for the 
purpose of comparison, 
