U N | V E RS | i bf 
BOTANICAL MUSEUM LEAFLETS 
HARVARD UNIVERSITY 
CamsBripGk, Massacuusetrs, Marcu 14, 1941 Voi. 9, No. 6 
THE MEANING AND USAGE OF THE 
MEXICAN PLACE-NAME ‘“‘CHINANTLA”’ 
BY 
Ricuarp Evans SCHULTES 
I. INTRODUCTION 
THERE are probably few geographical names more im- 
portant to the historical botany of southeastern Mexico 
than Chinantla. Yet this name has very often been mis- 
understood and has been used in a variety of senses. In 
view of this misunderstanding and of the importance to 
botanists of an exact definition of Chinantla, and in re- 
sponse to several queries from botanical workers, it has 
seemed advisable to present the following notes. 
About a century ago, a number of enthusiastic Ku- 
ropean botanical explorers penetrated the rain-forested 
mountains of northeastern Oaxaca and brought out thou- 
sands of specimens of plants. Several of these botanists 
carried on extensive explorations in that part of Oaxaca 
known locally as La Chinantla, a region which can be 
stated roughly to comprise the northern half of the Dis- 
trict of Choapam, the northeastern edge of the adjacent 
District of Villa Alta, and the southernmost edge of the 
District of Tuxtepec. 
The Chinantla is unquestionably the richest part of 
northeastern Oaxaca as it is the northernmost limit of 
the luxuriant Central American rain-forest flora. As a 
consequence, the collections of the early explorers of the 
[ 101 ] 
