FLORA OF NORTH-WESTERN MEXICO. 273 
Semina in loculis solitaria. Embryonis exalbumiuosi cotyledoncs a my gd all nee. -Arbor Mexkana 
mediocns, ramosa, inermis ; foliis alternis, b-V-foIiolatis ; foliolis ovatls v. obovato-ohlongis iategerrimis 
vel leviter dentahs,suhtus ^^i\o\xs ^^tio\M\h^^xe exalatis puherulU ; floribus a:viUaribm vel terminamm 
breviter racemosis ; corolUs viridibus ; baccis mali majoris moIIe.-^Casimiroa, La Llav. ct Lex. Nov. 
Vcg. Descr. vol. ii. p. 2.— Endl. Gen. PI. no. 6879. 
Casimiroa is one of the genera that have hitherto been without a fixed station in the Natural System 
and Endlicher placed it at the end of his great work among his « Genera duhia^ sedis." There can be no 
doubt however that it belongs to Aurantiace<e, the fruit, the leaves, and many other parts of the plant hav- 
ing that abundance of oily receptacles so characteristic of that Order. There is however one feature which 
does not occur among any of the members of this Order hitherto coUected there, viz. the number of the 
stamens being restricted to five, equal to that of the petals (and altematiug with them), while in all other 
Genera it is at least double, but I do not think that on thia account Casiiniroa ought to be excluded from 
Aurantiace<e ; on the contrary, its flowers ought to be looked upon as the nonnal type of the Order, the 
quinary arrangement of the Exogens being represented in its greatest purity. Casimiroa is also interesthig 
in a geographical point of view, as the'only Aurantiacea indigenous to America; the Oranges found appa- 
rently wild in parts of Brazil have, it would seem, been introduced. There is as yet only one species of 
the Genus, viz. : — 
65. Casimiroa eduUs, La Llav. et Lexarz. 1. c— Nomen vernacul. "Zapote bianco." Frequent 
in the States of Sinaloa and DurangOj both wild and cultivated. 
This tree has a remarkable tendency to accommodate itself to different climates. It grows from the 
lowest coast-region to an elevation of 7000 feet, producing everywhere an abundant harvest. It was well 
known to the ancient Aztecs, who termed it " Iztactzapotl," and also " Cochitzapotl," the former name 
being composed of the words iztac (white) and tzajjotl (sapota). "Tzapotl," whence the Spanish corrup- 
tion "Zapote" and the English "Sapota," signifies a succulent fruit containing large hard seeds, as for 
instance that of Lucuma, Anona, Achras, etc., a vague term for wliich scientific language has no equivalent 
expression. The second name, *' Cochitzapotl," is derived from cocU (to make sleepy) and tzapotl (sapota), 
as the fruit, when eaten, is said to produce a somniferous effect. Hernandez, in his 'Historia Plantarum,' 
etc., lib. ii. cap. 142 (edition of Madrid, 1790), gives the following account of the tree and its properties. 
He says, " Arbor magna est atquc incoudita, foliis Mali medicEe, raria ac temis, stipitihus albis uajvis dis- 
tinctis, floribus palleutibus et modicis, fructu vero Cotonei forma et magnitudine, vocato a nosotria llis- 
panis ' Zapote bianco,' eduli, saporis grati, sed nou admodum salubris nutrimenti, et ossis nucleo laethali 
ac deleterio. Cortex arboris siccus est, ac paululum dulcis non sine quadam amaritudine; folia tnsa et 
opposita, nutricum papiUis iuflintulornm mcdentur diaiThoeis; ossa usta et in farinam redacta opltnlantur 
iilccribus putrldls vitiata carno prorsus cxesa atque abr^mnta, purgato ulcere, carne generata, ac cicatrice 
mera quadam celeritate inducta ; poma iugesta somnum concillautj a quo invenere nomen, Nascitur iu 
calidis frigidisque regiouibus." 
Plate LI, Branch of Casimiroa edulls, natural size. 
Plate LII. Eig, 1, a flower-bud; 2, a flower, expanded; 3, a stamen; 4, ovary and calyx; 5 and 6, 
sections of ovary; 7, ovule; 8, an entire fruit; 9 and 10, sections of fruit; 11 and 12, entire seeds; 13 and 
14, sections of seed; 15 and 16, cotyledons: — all, witli tlie exception of 8, 9^ and 10, marfnijted. 
MALPIGHIACE^, 
GG. Byksonima cotinifoUa, H.B.K.^ "Wlprs, Kep. vol, i. p, 169. — Xomen vernacuL "Nanchi," 
Cerro de Pinal; Tepic and Acapulco (Lay and Collie!). 
2 M 
