22 Addisonia 



The best known one and that most common in southern Florida 

 and the neighboring Bahama Islands is botanically known as 

 Urcchitcs liitea. This species was first found in the Bahama Islands 

 in the earlier part of the eighteenth century, and it was illustrated in 

 color by IMark Catesby in his Natural History of Carolina, Florida, 

 and the Bahama Islands. This same plant is common in the 

 hammocks of the Florida Keys. There it occurs as a vigorous vine, 

 sometimes climbing to the top of tall trees where it forms a mat of 

 tangled branches which bear rather large yellow flowers. 



The wild allamanda here illustrated has a restricted geographic 

 range. It occurs, as far as we now know, only on the Biscayne 

 Pineland of the Everglade Keys, particularly in the vicinity of 

 Cocoanut Grove, Florida. It is strictly an inhabitant of the pine 

 woods, and not of the hammocks. Unlike its relative, Urechites 

 lutea, it is not a climber. Its stems are erect. Sometimes, late in 

 the season, it produces flagellate branches which recline, but it is 

 not known to climb, even when there is shrubbery adjacent for it 

 to lay hold of. Like a number of other plants growing in woods that 

 have been fire-swept for ages, this plant has an underground stem 

 which is well protected in the small erosion-holes of the limestone 

 rock on which it grows. The forest fires may burn ofif the branches, 

 but the stem is not harmed by fire. 



Specimens in flower were collected near Cocoanut Grove, Florida, 

 by Small and Wilson, May 9, 1904 (no. 1714), and may be taken as 

 the type of this new species; characteristic fruiting specimens were 

 collected by Small and Carter, near Kendall, Florida, November 5, 

 1906 (no. 2654). The plants from which the accompanying illus- 

 tration was made were collected in the pine woods west of 

 Cocoanut Grove, Florida, April 25, 1918, by the writer. 



John K. Smai.Iv. 



Explanation op Plate;. Fig. 1. — Flowering branch. Fig. 2. — Fruit. 



