134 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



A goodly number of tropical weeds are also represented here, some 

 being cosmopolitan, others occurring only in America. Such are 

 Mimosa pudica, Desm,odium barbatum, D. trijlorum (cosmopolitan), 

 D. ascendens, D. axillare, D. supinum,, D. spirale, Cassia tora (cosmo- 

 politan), C. diphylla. 



The economic facts and the vernacular names contained in the notes 

 have been obtained from Watt, Urban, 6 Cook and Collins, c and 

 many other reliable sources. In connection with the descriptions ref- 

 erence has been made to Cook and Collins, Economic Plants of Porto 

 Rico, c whenever those authors mention a species, give a plate, or use 

 a name not adopted in this paper. A large number of the species 

 described have been examined in the herbarium of the Royal Botan- 

 ical Museum in Berlin, especially valuable being the duplicates of Sin- 

 tenis, Schwanecke, and Bertero. From the herbarium material, from 

 the great English floras, and from Bentham's classical monographs 

 has been derived much information in regard to geographical distribu- 

 tion. It has undoubtedly been of service in preparing this paper that 

 in various trips in the Tropics an opportunity has been given the 

 writer of seeing, in a living condition, a large number of the plants 

 described. 



The nomenclature generally followed has been that of Urban, 

 although at times the Kew Index names have been used. Since the 

 appearance of Urban's Flora Portoricensis b it has been necessary to 

 interpolate several new forms and names and to reduce to synonynry 

 a number of Bello's species. Likewise the lists of localities have been 

 supplemented, as the material contained in the Berlin Herbarium was 

 not so complete as that of the West Indian Herbarium of Professor 

 Urban. 



SYNOPSIS OF THE GENERA. 



Flowers regular; petals valvate in the bud. Mimosoideae. 



Stamens indefinite, but at least more than 10. 

 Stamens consolidated at the base or united 

 and forming a tube; in several genera more 

 than a single carpel. (Ingeae.) 

 Leaves pinnate; style 1. 1. Inga (p. 140). 



Leaves bipinnate (pinnae sometimes 1- 

 jugate bearing 1 to 3 leaflets); style 1. 

 Legume thick, compressed, coria- 

 ceous or somewhat fleshy, invo- 

 lute, curved, or almost straight, in- 

 dehiscent or dehiscent with con- 

 torted valves, sometimes separat- 

 ing into 1-seeded joints. 2. Pithecolobium (p. 141). 



a Watt, George, A dictionary of the economic products of India. 1885-1893. 

 & Symbolae Antillanae, volume I. pp. 262 to 312, 1905. 



c Contributions from the United States National Herbarium, volume 8. pages 57 to 

 269, 1903. 



