PITTIER: CAESALPINIACEOUS trees of PANAMA 473 



Panama: In groves, in the tidal forest along the Mamonl River, 

 near its confluence with the Bayano River, Province of Panama, pods 

 and leaves, October 23, 1911 {Pittier 4582); below Sumacate, along the 

 Tuyra River, southern Darien, flowers, April 25, 1914 {Pittier 6593, 

 type). This species was observed also along the Sta. Lucia River in 

 eastern Chiriqui; around La Palma del Darien, on the margin of the 

 mangrove forest; and along the lower course of the Sambu River, 

 also in southern Darien.^ 



In the course of my exploration of Panama I had repeated oppor- 

 tunities to collect on the beaches of the Pacific and its tributary tidal 

 rivers stray specimens of the enormous seed of the above described tree. 

 Dr. M. A. Howe, of the New York Botanical Garden, had also gathered 

 specimens of the same in the course of his explorations in 1910. The 

 unusual size of this seed made me very anxious to know more about it 

 from my own experience, especially since all queries among European 

 and American botanists failed to procure further enlightenment about 

 it. Finally, the tree producing these beans was discovered, on October 

 23, 1911, on a point of land at the meeting of the Mamoni and Bayano 

 rivers, below Chepo, in the Province of Panama. Later on it was found 

 again in Chiriqui and Darien, always playing an important role as a 

 constituent of the forest of the tidal belt. But my discovery was 

 only partial at that time, because I left the Isthmus without having 

 been able to collect flowering specimens. It was not until April, 1914, 

 that I had the privilege of seeing the alcornoque, as it is called by the 

 natives, in full bloom in mile-long stretches along the lower course of 

 the Tuyra River in southern Darien. 



The alcornoque is a gregarious tree, seldom found as isolated indi- 

 viduals. With reference to the root system, there seems to be a great 

 variety in the size of the buttresses and the way they part from the 

 base of the trunk. At times they form large wings, generally three in 

 number, reaching up the latter to a distance of 1.5 meters and over; 

 at other times they are low and hardly noticeable. The main roots 

 run horizontally on the surface of the ground and can often be followed 



^ In the Kew Herbarium there are specimens of a Panamanian tree, cited as 

 Dtmo?-p/iand7-a oZeV/eroTriana in Hemsley's botanical part of the BiologiaCentrali- 

 Americana (1: 342). This species, collected by Sutton Hayes in the swamps 

 of the Rio Grande near Panama, has never been described. Through the courtesy 

 of the Director of the Kew Gardens, I am informed that the species is ''quite 

 distinct from any species of Dimorphandra (Mora) represented here." In the 

 absence of further data, however, and in order to avoid a possible confusion. I 

 deem it preferable to describe under a new name the material collected b}- myself. 



