NO. 2 GENTRY : LAND PLANTS 129 



Punta Frailes, Cape District, February 16, Dawson 1139. 



Native of eastern Africa and perhaps of the East Indies. It is culti- 

 vated in the tropical latitudes for the "ben" oil of commerce obtained 

 from the seeds. In India the young leaves, pods, and flowers are cooked 

 and eaten. It is cultivated in parts of the American tropics and has be- 

 come naturalized locally. The collector reports that the above cited 

 number was found growing spontaneously with native vegetation, far 

 from any appreciable settlement. 



The plant forms a small tree or shrub and the pinnate leaves, 

 5-merous and slightly irregular corolla on jointed pedicles, and long 

 legume-like capsules strongly suggests some of the Caesalpiniaceae. The 

 author narrowly averted erecting a new genus to receive it. It is dis- 

 tinguished from members of the Caesalpiniaceae by its tripinnate leaves 

 and the 3 parietal placentae (or 2 plus 1 double placentae) of the ovary. 

 The pod in Dawson's collection is quite terete, somewhat longitudinally 

 ribbed, not perceptibly 3-angled as described by authors, and the anthers 

 are basally affixed rather than dorsifixed as described. The seeds appear 

 to be imbedded in a pulpy aril, rather than winged. The specimen is 

 illustrated in Plates 1 and 2. 



Krameriaceae 



Krameria parvifolia Benth., Bot. Voy. Sulph. 6, pi. 2. 1844. 



San Jose del Cabo, February 19, Dawson 1201. 



Arid rocky situations of the gulf region and throughout the Sonoran 

 Desert. This species shows considerable variation in leaf form and in 

 the presence or absence of glandular hairs. Through the northern part 

 of its range in northern Baja California and southwestern United 

 States a wider-leaved glandular variety occurs, K. parvifolia glandulosa 

 (Rose & Painter) McBr. Gentry (Carn. Inst. Wash. Publ. 527:120. 

 1942) reports the species also from southern Sonora and western Chi- 

 huahua. A close study of collections should reveal geographic segregates 

 of historical significance. 



Krameria paucifolia Rose, C.N.H. 10:108. 1906. 



Island in Concepcion Bay, Baja California, March 16, Rempel 198^ 

 on alluvial fan. North end of Los Angeles Bay, March 19, 20, Rempel 

 254. 



A low stiff spreading shrub with canescent twigs and foliage common 



