STANDLEY TREES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 277 



It may be that the species as accepted here should be divided into two or 

 more, but the general practice of recent writers has been to refer all the Ameri- 

 can forms to a single species. 



4. ILLICIUM L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 1050. 1759. 

 1. Illicium floridanum Ellis, Phil. Trans. Loudon 60: 524. pi. 12. 1770. 



Veracruz and Puebla. Florida to Louisiana. 



Aromatic evergreen shrub, 1.5 to 3 meters high ; leaves elliptic or lance-elliptic, 

 7 to 14 cm. long, acuminate, petiolate, persistent-, gland-dotted beneath ; flowers 

 long-pedicellate, with 20 to 30 narrow, dark crimson or purple petals. " Mata- 

 caballos " (Veracruz); " ixcapantl " (Puebla). 



The shrub is reputed poisonous to stock. It is known in Florida as " poison 

 bay " and " sweet laurel." The Mexican form has been illustrated recently 

 (Bol. Dir. Estud. Biol. 1: 661. 1916). 



A related species of China, Illicium verum Hook, f., is the star-anise, whose 

 fruit is much used in oriental countries for flavoring food. 



42. ANNONACEAE. Custard-apple Family. 



Trees or shrubs, often aromatic ; leaves alternate, estipulate, entire ; flowers 

 solitary or clustered, usually perfect, conmuinly with 3 sepals and 6 fleshy or 

 leathery petals ; stamens numerous ; fruit of 1 or more carpels, these sessile 

 or stipitate, usually fleshy, free or united to form a many-celled fruit. 

 Petals, at least the outer ones, imbricate. 



Seeds solitary, attached at the base of the cell ; flowers small. 



1. GUATTERIA. 

 Seeds several, attached to the side of the cell ; flowers usually very large. 



2. SAPRANTHUS. 

 Petals valvate. 

 Outer petals separated, not connivent. 



Carpel of the fruit one 3. TRIDIMEBIS. 



Carpels numerous. 



Inner petals clawed 4. CYMBOPETALUM. 



Inner petals not clawed 5. DESMOPSIS. 



Outer petals connivent. 



Ovules 2 to many in each carpel ; carpels distinct in fruit 6. XYLOPIA. 



Ovules one in each carpel ; carpels concrete in fruit. 

 Petals connate into a 3 or 6-lobed tube, the outer ones wing-appendaged. 



7. ROLLINIA. 

 Petals not connate, the outer ones not appendaged 8. ANNONA. 



1. GUATTERIA Ruiz & Pav. Fl. Peruv. Chil. Prodr. 85. 1794. 

 Trees or shrubs ; peduncles 1-flowered, axillary, solitary or fasciculate, 

 pubescent ; fruit composed of numerous stipitate berries. 



Petals about 6 mm. long , 1. G. bibracteata. 



Petals 1 cm. long or often much larger. 



Leaves cordate at base 2. G. macrantha. 



Leaves rounded to acute at base. 

 Leaves short-acuminate at apex. 



Petals 2 to 4.3 cm. long; leaves 5 to 15 cm. long. 



Leaves 2 to 2.5 cm. long 3. G. g-aumeri. 



Leaves 3 to 5 cm. wide . 7. G. depressa. 



Petals 1 to 1.5 cm. long; leaves mostly 15 to 25 cm. long. 



4. G. diospyroides. 



