338 Britton : Studies of West Indian plants 



does credit it to Jamaica, and cites P. Browne, although, as he 

 omits an exclamation mark, it is evident that he did not see a 

 specimen, nor does his herbarium, now at the New York Botan- 

 ical Garden, contain any Hernandia from Jamaica ; Meissner re- 

 fers the record of P. Browne to the species Hernandia sonora L., 

 native of the Windward Islands and Porto Rico, and perhaps also 

 of the East Indies. 



Hernandia sonora is readily distinguishable from the other spe- 

 cies by its peltate, long-pointed leaves, and the only other West 

 Indian species known is the Cuban Hernandia aibensis Griseb., 

 which has narrow long-acuminate leaves. Under H. sonora, 

 Meissner (DC. Prodr. 264) notes a variety gnadeloiipensis from 

 Guadeloupe Island, which has leaves rounded at the apex and 

 base, or slightly cordate. It is possible but not probable that 

 this is the same as the Jamaican tree, but the description is insuf- 

 ficient to make this certain. In any event, the Jamaican tree is 

 evidently specifically distinct from either H. sonora, or H. cnbensis. 

 There is a species of Hernandia, H. gidanensis, in French Guiana, 

 but not much is known of it other than the plate of Aublet, PI. 

 Guian. //. 32g, which shows that this must be quite different from 

 the plant here to be described. 



Hernandia jamaicensis Britton & Harris 



A tree 30 m. high or less, with spreadiiig and ascending stout 

 branches, the trunk becoming at least a meter in diameter, the 

 young twigs more or less flattened and angled. Leaves subcori- 

 aceous, sometimes 2.5 dm. long ; petioles stout, somewhat shorter 

 than the blade, but sometimes i dm. in length, the blades elliptic 

 to elliptic-obovate, obtuse at the apex, obtuse or subcuneate at the 

 base, 3-nerved or faintly 5-nerved, not at all peltate ; inflorescence 

 as long as the leaves or longer, racemose or racemose-paniculate ; 

 calyx of the pistillate flowers turbinate, about 5 mm. long, its 

 margin truncate ; fruiting calyx subglobose, yellow, fleshy, 3-4 

 cm. long and about as thick as long, its wall about i mm. thick, 

 its orifice 1.5-2 cm. wide with a slightly raised margin ; drupe 

 ovoid, nearly 2 cm. long, 1.5 cm. in diameter, rounded at the 

 base, bluntly pointed, bluntly 8-ribbed and rugose between the ribs. 



On wooded hill, at about 400 meters altitude, near Dolphin 

 Head, Jamaica {Britton 2^21, type ; Harris 10J12) ; Woodstock^ 

 Westmoreland, Jamaica {Harris gSjj). 



