8 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



far as pf>s.sible, those of local native dialects. The importance of 

 recording native names can not be urged too strongly upon collectors. 

 These names are often used very uniformly over wide areas and are, 

 on the whole, probably better standardized than the English names 

 employed in the United States. This is perhaps not remarkable, in 

 view of the fact that many of the Spanish names have been in use 

 for four centuries, and the native names much longer. 



The vernacular names here cited are followed by parentheses in 

 which are listed the states or countries in which they are known or 

 reported to be used. If there is no further comment or indication, 

 it may be assumed that the names are correctly applied. In many 

 cases the vernacular names have been reported by a single authority, 

 and in some cases the propriety of their application is doubtful; in 

 such instances the \^rnacular name is followed by the name of the 

 aiitlioiity (in italics) to whom the writer is indebted for it. 



ECONOMIC NOTES. 



The economic notes also have been gathered from a wide variety of 

 sources. A large amount of information concerning the uses of 

 plants has been published in Mexico, and these data have been used 

 frcM'ly. Keferences liavc been given to the uses made of the plants in 

 other regions, jnirticularly Central America and the West Indies. 

 Some of the information here presented is taken from the published 

 and unpublished notes of Dr. Edward Palmer, who was engaged for 

 many years in the botanical exploration of Mexico and made ex- 

 tensive observations on the local uses of plants. The Mexican flora 

 contains a very large number of species of economic value, soipc of 

 which, like the cacao and Mexican rubber tree, are of great com- 

 mercial importance. The number of plants which yield edible fruit 

 is vei-y large. It would seem, also, that almost every species is cm- 

 j)loyed locally for medicinal purposes, but too much importance 

 should not be attached to the data rei)orted regarding such uses, for, 

 iiltlioiigh many of the plants do possess therapeutic pi'operties, in the 

 far greater majority of cases the properties attributed arc chiefly or 

 wholly fictitious. 



The, Republic of Mexico, the region which is covered by the pres- 

 ent work, is not a natural phytogeographic area, its boundaries 

 being nowhere coincident with those of any limit of vegetation. It 

 would be very dinicult to di'aw a natiiral boundary along tlie north- 

 ern Ironlici-. Miul c(|iiiilly so on (he sonlli. Tliere is no sharp brciilv 

 in (lie conliniiily of specific disl rihni ion on tlic south iinlil tlic 

 Isthmus of Panama is readied, and even liere the bicak is not too 

 pronoinwu'd, for a large. nuniluT of species of woody plants aiv, 

 known In ninj/c fioni (lie arid re<rions of (^)lollll)ia mihI \'(>ne/,U('la 



