222 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL. HERBARIUM. 



Specimens reported from Jalapa by Hemsley ' as P. sonneratii Wedd. prob- 

 ably belong here. 



2. Phenax mexicanus Wedd. Arch. Mus. Paris 9: 500. 1856. 



Phenax gaudichaudianus Wedd. Ann. Sci. Nat. IV. 1 : 193. 1854. 



Phenax yaleotiiamis Blume, Mus. Bot. Lugd. Bat. 2: 227. 1866. 



Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Central America. 



Shrub, 1 to 2.5 meters high ; leaves bright green, 3-nerved ; flowers small, in 

 dense axillary clusters ; fruit a small achene. 



26. PROTEACEAE. Protea Family. 



1. ROUP ALA Aubl. PI. Guian. 1 : 83. 1775. 



1. Roupala borealis Hemsl. Biol. Centr. Amer. Bot. 3: 78. pi. 76. 1882. 



Veracruz and Oaxaca ; type from San Crist6bal, Veracruz. Guatemala. 



Shrub or small tree, nearly glabrous ; leaves dimorphous, part of them pinnate,^ 

 with coarsely serrate leaflets, part of them simple, long-petiolate, ovate or ellip- 

 tic, long-acuminate, shallowly serrate; flowers small, in long slender spikes. 

 " Palo de zorrillo " (Oaxaca). 



27. LORANTHACEAE. Mistletoe Family. 



Shrubs, sometimes very small, parasitic upon the branches of trees or shrubs, 

 usually green but often red, brown, or yellowish and without chlorophyll ; 

 leaves mostly opposite, entire, thick and leathery, frequently reduced to scales, 

 estipulate ; flowers large or small, perfect or unisexual ; fruit a 1-seeded berry. 



The pulp of the fruit is extremely viscid, and if it comes in contact with 

 any object it can not be separated from it without great difficulty. The fruit 

 is eaten by birds and it is largely by their agency that the seeds are trans- 

 ported from one host to another. It is said that in Brazil a kind of rubber 

 has been extracted from the fruit, and that the leaves are used for tanning. 



When one of the plants of this family is removed from its host there is 

 exposed upon the latter a curious structure which often assumes a flower-like 

 form. These " wood flowers " or " flores de niadera " are well known in some 

 parts of tropical America, and various superstitions are associated with them. 

 Flowers not calyculate, very small. 

 Flowers in one rank on the joints of the inflorescence. Leaves developed. 



1. DENDROPHTHORA. 

 Flowers in 2 or more ranks. 



Flowers solitary in the axils of the bracts; leaves reduced to scales- 



2. RAZOUMOFSKYA. 

 Flowers borne above the bracts on the axis of the spike ; leaves often well 



developed 3. PHORADENDRON. 



Flowers calyculate, often large and showy. 



Flowers sunk in the axis of the inflorescence 4. ORYCTANTHUS. 



Flowers not sunk in the axis of the inflorescence, sessile or pedicellate. 



Flowers small, less than 1 cm. long 5. STRUTHANTHITS. 



Flowers large, 2 cm. long or larger. 



Seeds with endosperm 6. PHRYGILANTHUS. 



Seeds without endosperm 7. PSITTACANTHUS. 



'Biol. Centr. Amer. Bot. 3:161. 1883. 



