STANDLEY TP.EES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 265 



Known in Jamaica as " guinea-hen weed." Probably as a result of its strong 

 and characteristic odor, the plant has been much used in domestic medicine. It 

 is reputed to have diuretic, sudorific, expectorant, antispasmodic, and depura- 

 tive properties, and has been used as a vermifuge, emmenagogue, and abortcfa- 

 cient, and for toothache (the roots inserted in cavities in the teeth), fevers, 

 rheumatism, paralysis, venereal diseases, hysteria and other nervous diseases, 

 hydrophobia, and scorpion stings. Palmer's notes indicate that in Sinaloa the 

 leaves are bound upon the forehead to relieve headache, and that the powdered 

 roots are used as a snufC for nasal catarrh. It is stated that when cows eat the 

 plant an alliaceous flavor is imparted to their milk. Descourtilz reports that in 

 the West Indies the roots were placed among woolen goods to protect them from 

 insects. 



6. RIVINA L. Sp. PI. 121. 1753. 

 1. Rivina humilis L. Sp. PI. 121. 1753. 



Rivina laevis L. Mant. PI. 1:41. 1767. 



Nearly throughout Mexico. AVidely distributed in tropical America. 



Suffrutescent, up to 1 meter high, sometimes wholly herbaceous ; leaves petio- 

 late, ovate, acute or acuminate, bright green; flowers small, white or greenish, 

 racemose ; fruit a small, 1-seeded, red or orange berry. " Coral " (various locali- 

 ties) ; " coralito," " coralillo " (Durango) ; " hierba mora," " saca-tinta," " cora- 

 lillo," "coralillo carmfn " (Nicaragua); " carmin " (Colombia, Porto Rico); 

 " ojo de raton," " coralitos " (Cuba); " pimpin." " pinta-pinta " (Colombia); 

 " sangre de toro " (Argentina, Uruguay) ; " caimancillo " (Santo Domingo). 



The fruit is full of blood-red juice, wliich yields a red dye. The leaves are 

 said to be used for catarrh and for treating wounds. The fruit is reported 

 to be edible. Sometimes known as " rouge-plant." 



R. portulaccoidcs Nutt., with slightly larger flowers, and R. purpvrasccns 

 Schrad., with purplish flowers in long stiff racemes, are recognized by Walter 

 as distinct species, but they do not appear to differ essentially from the common 

 form. 



7. TRICHOSTIGMA A. Rich. PI. Vase. Cub. 1 : 627. 1845. 

 1. Trichostigma octandrum (L.) H. Walt, in Engl. Pflanzenreich IV. 83: 

 109. 1909. 



Rivina octandra L. Cent. PI. 2: 1756. 



Villamtlla octandra Benth. & Hook. Gen. PI. 3: 81. 1880. 



Sinaloa to Tamaulipas, Tabasco, and Chiapas. Widely distributed in trop- 

 i-al America. 



Scandent shrub, sometimes 5 meters long; leaves elliptic or ovate, acute, 

 petiolate ; flowers small, whitish or purplish, racemose ; fruit a small black 1- 

 seeded berry. " Bejuco de paloma " (Porto Rico) ; " guacamayo " (Colombia) ; 

 " sotacaballo " (Costa Rica); "bejuco canasta," " guaniqui " (Cuba); " pabel- 

 lon del rey" (Santa Domingo). 



The leaves have been used in Colombia for the treatment of wounds, and the 

 stems in Jamaica for barrel hoops. 



37. PORTULACACEAE. Portulaca Family. 

 Some of the species of Talinum should prehaps be classed as shrubs. 

 1. TALINOPSIS A. Gray, PI. Wright. 1: 14. 1852. 

 1. Talinopsis frutescens A. Gray, PI. Wright. 1: 15. pi. 3. 1852. 



Chihuahua to San Luis Potosi and Puebla. Western Texas (type locality) 

 and southern New Mexico. 



