safford: lignum nephriticum 513 



description of eysenhardtia polystachya 



The plant positively identified as yielding the hgnuni nephriti- 

 cum of Hernandez may be described briefly as follows: 



Eysenhardtia polystachya (Ortega) Sargent, Silv. N. Am. 3: 29. 

 1892 (excl. Texas references). 



Viborquia polystachya Ortega, Hort. Matr. Dec. 5: 66, pi. 9. 1798. 



Eysenhardtia amorplioides H.B.K. Nov. Gen. et Sp. 6: 491, pi. 592. 

 1823. 



Varennea polystachya DC. Prodr. 2: 522. 1825; Oliva, Lecc. Farm. 

 2:429. 1854. 



An erect, sweetly aromatic shrub or small tree, glandular-punctate, 

 with spreading, recurved branches. Leaves even-pinnate or odd- 

 pinnate, with numerous small opposite or alternate stipellate leaflets, 

 these oval or oblong-elliptical, entire, usuall}^ decreasing in size toward 

 the extremity of the rachis, the terminal one of odd-pinate leaves usually 

 obcordate, the others rounded or slightly retuse at the apex and often 

 terminating in a short acumen, pubescent when young, often becoming 

 glabrate, usualty punctate with glandular dots on the lower surface; 

 rachis grooved above, irregularly glandular-dotted, often retaining the 

 persistent minute subulate stipels after the leaflets have fallen. Flowers 

 fragrant, small, white, turning yellow in drying, borne in terminal 

 densely spicate racemes; pedicels subtended by a lanceolate deciduous 

 bracteole, short and slender, often reflexed at length, but sometimes 

 ascending or widely spreading; calyx glandular-punctate, 5-toothed, 

 persistent; corolla scarcely at all papilionaceous, composed of 5 nearly 

 equal unguiculate petals, the standard slightl}^ broader than the wings 

 and keel, emarginate, carinate, with involute margins; stamens 10, 

 diadelphous, the superior one free, the filaments of the others united in- 

 to a tube; ovary subsessile, oblong, compressed, terminating in a long 

 slender stjde, somewhat longer than the stamens, geniculate and glandu- 

 lar below the apex; stigmas introrse. Legume small, oblong, compressed 

 flat, subfalcate or almost straight, subtended by the persistent companu- 

 late calyx and tipped by the persistent base of the style, usually glandu- 

 lar-punctate, indehiscent, pendent or abruptly reflexed, sometimes 

 widely spreading or ascending but never erect and appressed, purplish 

 at the apex when fresh, usually containing a single seed near the apex. 



This species was first described by Gomez Ortega, under the name 

 Viborquia polystachya in 1798, as shown in the synonymy given above, 

 from specimens grown in the Royal Garden of Madrid from seeds 

 sent by Sesse from Mexico. Ortega named the genus in honor of 

 "A^iborq, most distinguished professor of the botanical garden of 

 Copenhagen, who, when a short time ago he journeyed through Spain 

 and visited Madrid, left in us deep appreciation of his kindliness and 

 his conversation." The generic name Viborquia had to be aban- 



