218 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBAKIUM. 



3. Cecropia obtusa Trecul, Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 8: 79. 1849. 

 Veracruz and Yucatiin. Cuba ; South America. 

 " Xcoochl§ " (Yucatan, Maya); " ya.scrumo hembra " (Cuba). 



DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 



(?ECBOPiA coMMUTATA Schott ; MiQuel in Mart. Fl. Bras. 4*: 148. 1S43. De- 

 scribed from a sterile cultivated plant said to be of Mexican origin. 



Cecropia pbopinqua Miquel in Mart. Fl. Bras. 4^: 149. 1S43. Described from 

 sterile cultivated plants. 



10. COUSSAPOA Aubl. PI. Guian. 2: 891. 1775. 

 1. Coussapoa rekoi Standi. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 20: 211. 1919. 



Veracruz and Oaxaca ; type locality, Cafetal Concordia, Cerro Espino, 

 Oaxaca, at an altitude of 600 meters. 



Large tree with spreading crown, the branchlets. stipules, and nerves 

 prickly ; leaves ovate-rounded, sometimes half a meter long, entire, short- 

 pointed ; flowers in globose pedunciilate heads, thf^ head becoming succulent and 

 edible at maturity. " Chirimoya," " oarnero " (Oaxaca); " ababiibite " (Vera- 

 cruz). 



The ripe heads are edible; they are about 2.5 cm. in diameter and resemble 

 miniature chirimoyas {Annona cherimola) . Mr. Wilson Popenoe has found 

 them recently offered for sale in markets of Veracruz. 



25. TJHTICACEAE. Nettle Family. 

 Large or small shrubs or small trees, sometimes covered with stinging hairs. 

 Many herbaceous representatives of the family occur in ^lexico. Most of the 

 species of the Urticaceae have very tough stems, from which coarse, tough 

 fiber may be obtained. 

 Plants with stinging hairs. 



Stigma peuicillate-capitate ; perianth lobes fleshy in fruit 1. URERA. 



Stigma filiform ; perianth lobes unchanged in fruit 2. URTICASTRUM. 



Plants never with stinging hairs. 

 Perianth membranaceous in fruit, inclosing the achene. 



Stigma persistent; leaves toothed 3. BOEHMERIA. 



Stigma deciduous; leaves entire 4. POUZO L ZIA. 



Perianth none. 



Flowers in long slender spikes 5. MYRIOCARPA. 



Flowers in axillary glomerules 6. PHENAX. 



1. URERA Gaud, in Freyc. Voy. Bot. 496. 1826. 



Reference: Weddell in DC. Prodr. 16 ^ 88-98. 1869. 



Trees or shrubs, covered with stinging hairs ; leaves alternate, stipulate? 

 petioled ; flowers small, green, in axillary panicles, usually dioecious; fruit a 

 small achene, surrounded by the flesliy calyx and resembling a berry. 

 Inflorescence not dichotomous ; leaves entire or sinuate. Achene exceeding the 



calyx 1. TJ. microcarpa. 



Inflorescence dichotomous or trichotomous ; leaves crenate-dentate or coarsely 

 dentate. 



Achene exceeding the calyx: leaves coarsely dentate 2. TT. bacclfera. 



Achene not exceeding the calyx ; leaves closely crenate-dentate. 



3. TJ. caracasana. 



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