The Crataegi of Mexico and Central America 



W. W. Eggleston 



In the autumn of 1905, Dr. C. G, Pringle sent me, from Mexico, 

 fruiting material of what he considered a new species of Crataegus. 

 Study of the literature of both the Mexican and the South Ameri- 

 can species satisfied me that he was correct in his diagnosis ; but I 

 asked .him to get me flowering material from the same station. 

 This he did in April, 1906, and Crataegus Barons saiia was then de- 

 scribed (Torreya 7: 35). Since then I have seen specimens of 

 this species, y. Gregg ^^j, '* mountains near Saltillo, 1848 or 49," 

 both in the herbarium of the Missouri Botanical Garden and in the 



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Gray Herbarium. Dr. Pringle tells me that his C. Baroiissana 

 ravine overlooks the battlefield of Buena Vista and therefore his 

 station might be Dr. Gregg's as well. 



The study required for this species led me to a more extensive 

 investigation of this group as it is represented south of the 

 Mexican boundary. I had trouble in finding important literature ; 

 many of the types were in Europe ; and all of the South Ameri- 

 can species were inaccessible to me. The literature has now all 

 been secured and a good idea of most of the types obtained, but 

 to find material of the South American species has been a harder 

 proposition. There is but one sheet of a South 



A 



in the great herbaria of the United States. This is a flowering 

 specimen of C. spinosa DC. in the herbarium of the New York- 

 Botanical Garden. 



Happily, most of the South American species can easily be 

 eliminated from the problem by their descriptions. C. stipulosa 

 (H.B.K.) Steud. and C. quitaisis Benth. were the only ones that 

 troubled me, and a flowering specimen (from the type locality) of 

 C. stipulosa and a drawing of the type of Bentham's C. qidtensis 

 were very kindly sent me by Lt. Col. Prain, Director of the Royal 



Botanic Gardens, Kew. 



Dr. C. G. Pringle and Dr. Edward Palmer have made special 



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