276 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HEKBARIUM. 



was valued also for its reputed medicinal properties, and it still finds use in 

 domestic medicine. The bark is employed for fevers, and is said also to have 

 an effect upon the heart similar to that of digitalis. A decoction of the flowers 

 is administered for epilepsy, paralysis, and various heart affections, and as a 

 tonic. The plant, upon analysis, is said to yield a glucoside which dissolves the 

 blood corpuscles.^ 



The Nahuatl name, " yoloxochitl," signifies " heart-flower," an allus'ion to 

 the shape of the unopened flower buds. Robelo gives " cbipagua " as one of the 

 vernacular names — a derivative of the Nahuatl chipahnac, "the beautiful." 

 The species has been reported from Mexico * as Magnolia glauca, a name synony- 

 mous with M. virginiana L., which pertains to the sv.eet bay of the eustcrn and 

 southern United States. It appears, also, that Talamna mexicana and Mag- 

 nolia schiedeana have often been confused. The two species are much alike in 

 leaf form and in the appearance of their flowers, but the fruits are very dif- 

 ferent. 



Talauma macrocarpa is mentioned by Acosta (1590) under the name " yolo- 

 suchil." It is illustrated and described by Hernandez ' under the name " yoloxo- 

 chitl." The latter author discusses its medical properties, stating that "it is an 

 excellent remedy for sterility," and remarks that the flowers were sometimes 

 used to flavor chocolate. 



3. DRIMYS Forst. Char. Gen. 83. 1776. 

 1, Drimys winteri Forst. Char. Gen. 84. pi. Jf2. 1776. 



Drimys granatensis L. f. Suppl. PI. 269. 1781. 



Drimys mexicana Moc. & Sesse; DC. Reg. Veg. Syst. 1: 444. 1818. 



Veracruz and Oaxaca ; reported from other states ; sometimes cultivated. 

 Central America and southward to the Straits of Magellan. 



An evergreen shrub or tree, in some parts of its range 18 meters high, with 

 grayish bark ; leaves mostly oblong or oblong-obovate, 7 to 13 cm. long, coria- 

 ceous, persistent, green above, glaucous beneath, petiolate ; flowers solitary or 

 umbellate, white ; sepals 2 or 3 ; petals 6 or more ; fruit purplish black. 

 " Chilillo," " chachaca," " palo picante " (various parts of Mexico); " palo de 

 chile" (Oaxaca) ; " muelo," " quiebra-muelas " (Costa Rica) ; " canelo " (Chile). 



This plant, which furnishes the Winter's bark of commerce, was first ob- 

 tained by Winter, who was captain of one of the ships which accompanied Sir 

 Francis Drake's expedition of 1577. The three vessels of the fleet were struck 

 by a storm in the southern ocean and Winter's ship was driven to the Straits of 

 Magellan, where three weeks were spent with the object of improving the 

 health of the crew. Drimys was one of the plants which attracted Winter's 

 attention, and he used the bark for treating scurvy. Specimens of the bark 

 were presented to the famous botanist Clusius, who gave it the name of Cortex 

 Winteranus. It became a favorite remedy in Europe, but as it was difficult to 

 obtain the drug from South America the bark of Canella alba, a West Indian 

 tree, was often substituted for it. Winter's bark is little used at the present 

 time except in domestic medicine in the regions where it is native. It is aro- 

 matic and pungent and has tonic and antiscorbutic properties. In Brazil it is 

 used for dysentery and for gastric disturbances. In Costa Rica the bark is 

 chewed for toothache. The powdered bark is sometimes employed in Mexico 

 as a condiment. 



' For accounts of the plant see A. L. Herrera, El yoloxochitl, Estudio 4: 133; 

 E. Armendilriz, Analysis de las semillas del yoloxochitl, Estudio 4: 248. 

 ' Sess6 & Moc. PI. Nov. Hisp. 90. 1887. 

 'Thesaurus 40. 1651. 



I 



