BLAKE: REVISION OF THE AVOCADOS I5 



la. Persea americana drymifolia (vSchlecht. & Cham.) Blake. Mexi- 

 can AVOCADO. 



Persea drymifolia 5chlecht. & Cham. Linnaea 6: 365. 1831. 



Persea gratissima drymifolia Mez, Jahrb. Bot. Gart. BerUn 5: 147. 

 1889. 



Leaves anise- or sassafras-scented when crushed, usually smaller 

 than in P. americana, elliptic, and acute or acuminate at each end, 

 but sometimes as broadly oval as in P. americana, and showing the 

 same variation in pubescence; perianth equaling that of the larger- 

 flowered examples of P. americana, its segments usually persistent in 

 young fruit or even to maturity; fruit thin-skinned. 

 Type Locality: Papantla, Vera Cruz, Mexico. 

 Specimens Examined: 



NuEvo Leon: Monterey, March, 1891, Dodge 150. 



Sinaloa: Above Colomas, July, 1897, Rose 18 13. 



San Luis Potosi: Without definite locality, 1879, Schaffner (Vig- 

 ener No. 572). 



Tepic: Between Aguacate and Dolores, 1897, Rose 2013. 



Vera Cruz: Fortin, 1883, Kerber 306. Patio of Hotel Colon, 

 Puerto Mexico, July, 191 8, Popenoe 827 (S. P. L). San Andres Tuxtla, 

 1918, Popenoe 824 (S. P. L). 



State of Mexico: Covoacan, Federal District, Jan., 1919, Popenoe 

 854, 855, 856 (S. P. L). ' 



Puebla: Cultivated, Orizaba, 1857, Mohr. Atlixco, Dec, 1918, 

 Popenoe 857, 859, 860, 861, 862, 863 (S. P. L). 



Guatemala: Roadside below Santa Maria de Jesus, Zacatepequez, 

 Oct., 1916, Popenoe 675 (S. P. L), Feb., 191 7, Popenoe 770 (S. P. L). 



Ecuador: Quito, 191 8, Rose & Rose 23556. Cultivated, Ambato, 

 1918, Rose (J' Rose 22338. 



This, the common Mexican race of avocado, is a form of doubtful 

 rank. In its commonly persistent or subpersistent perianth it departs 

 not only from its close relative P. americana but from the character 

 ordinarily given for the genus. This feature is not universal, however, 

 and the form in the absence of fruit can be distinguished only by its 

 anise-scented leaves. I can find no differences whatever in floral struc- 

 ture, and therefore rank it for the present as a variety of P. americana. 

 Mr. Popenoe, however, who is familiar with the plant in the field, is of 

 the opinion that it represents a distinct species. Its Mexican name is 

 given in the original description as "aguacate oloroso." 



2. Persea floccosa Mez, Jahrb. Bot. Gart. Berlin 5: 148. 1889. 



Tree with fulvous-villous, glabrate branchlets; leaf blades n to 17 

 cm. long, 4.8 to 7.5 cm. wide, ovate, acuminate, at base obtuse or some- 

 what acutish, densely ferruginous-lanate on both sides when young, 

 in age above subglabrate, densely foveolate-punctate, beneath glau- 

 cescent, floccose-tomentose, loosely prominent-reticulate; petioles up 



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