"If the chest, the back, the ribs, the rib cage hurt, if she aches in all 

 parts of her body, she is anointed with a collection of diverse 

 herbs: Tlaquequefzal, Tonalxihuiil, Alzitzicazili, Aizomiaii They 

 are ground; they are mixed with lampblack and Axin in order to 

 be applied as an ointment. But first she is to bathe in hot worm- 

 wood (water)/* (Sahagiin, p. 1961, p. 152). 



In another section which "... telleth of the medicinal 

 herbs . . .", Tonalxihuitl is stated to be used as follows: 



"[The foliage] is ground up. It is required by one who has pimples. 

 Moistened, it is placed there where the pimples are. 



And its root is useless, of no value. And this one, when someone 

 tastes it, deadens the tongue somewhat". (Sahagiin, 1963, p. 167). 



DISCUSSION 



On the basis of the data presented above, the following obser- 

 vations can be made. 



1 . The application of the same common name(s) to more than 

 one species. 



Several cases may be cited, in which the common names have 

 been applied to more than one Stevia species. The reasons for 

 this are not always clear, but in some cases an explanation may 

 be in order. 



For example, the common names Hierha de la niula and 

 Zazal'dvt used in the central part of Mexico for S. salicifolia and 

 S. suhpubescens. The basis for this appears to be morphological 

 similarity. Both species are shrubs with linear to lan-ceolate 

 leaves, and with dense corymbs of white capitula. Additionally, 

 the distribution of the two species overlaps in this geographic 

 region. Another similar example is the use of the name Hierba 

 del aire for both S. lucida and S. salicifolia, morphologically 

 similar species. 



On the other hand, the name Hierba de la pulga has been 

 applied to S, glandulosa and S, viscida, two morphologically 

 distinct species (see also Grashoff, 1972). Apparently, in this 

 case, the basis is similarity of uses of the plants, namely as insect 



Hierb 



Hierba 



salicifolia may also be explained on the basis of similarity in use. 



18 



