302 CONTEIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



long, obtuse or acutish ; flowers racemose, 1.5 cm. long, yellow ; calyx 4-lobed ; 

 stamens 6 ; fruit acute or attenuate, 4 to 6 cm. long. 



The Coahuilla Indians of southern California eat the green pods after cook- 

 ing them with hot stones in a hole in the ground. 



2. MORISONIA L. Sp. PI. 503. 1753. 

 1. Morisonia americana L. Sp. PI. 503. 1753. 



Siualoa to Oaxaca. Lesser Antilles ; northern South America. 



Shrub or small tree, sometimes 7 meters high, with sparse stellate or lepi- 

 date pubescence; leaves long-petiolate, oblong or ovate-oblong, 12 to 25 cm. 

 long, obtuse or acute, very thick, lustrous, nearly glabrous ; flowers in lateral 

 corymbs, rather large, white ; petals 4 ; fruit baccate, . many-seeded, globose, 

 3.5 to 6 cm. in diameter, brownish and rough outside. " Chicozapote " (Oax- 

 aca) ; "arbol del diablo " (Colima, Colombia); " chico " (Sinaloa) ; "cacao 

 cimarrSn," " rabo de mico " (Colombia). 



In the West Indies aperitive and antihysteric properties are attributed to the 

 infusion of the flowers, which is used also as a remedy for Intestinal parasites ; 

 and the pulp of the fruit is said to be used in reducing inflammation. 



3. CAPPARIS L. Sp. PI. 503. 1753. 9 



Reference: Eichler in Mart. Fl. Bras. 13 ': 267-288. pi. 60-65. 1865. 

 Shrubs or trees, glabrous or pubescent, the pubescence often stellate or lep- 

 idote ; leaves simple, petiolate, usually thick and leathery ; flowers usually 

 large and white ; sepals 4 ; petals 4 ; fruit baccate, variable in form. 



The fruits of some Australian species are eaten by the natives. Capparis 

 spinosa L., of the Mediterranean Region, produces the capers (" alcaparras ") 

 of commerce. These are the flower buds and young fruits preserved in vinegar 

 with some salt. Capers are the basis of an important industry in some parts 

 of southern Europe. It is stated that in Provence 1,760,000 pounds are har- 

 vested annually. 



Indument none or of simple hairs. 

 Sepals rounded. 

 Leaf blades obtuse or rounded at base, usually emarginate at apex. Plants 



glabrous; fruit torulose, smooth 1. C. flexuosa. 



Leaf blades subcordate or emarginate at base, rounded or acute at apex. 

 Plants glabrous ; leaves mostly 4 to 8.5 cm. wide ; fruit smooth ; stamens 



not longer than the petals 2. C. baducca. 



Plants usually more or less pubescent ; leaves 1.5 to 4 cm. wide ; fruit 



verrucose ; stamens much longer than the petals 3. C. verrucosa. 



Sepals acute. 



Petioles 3 to 8 mm. long 4. C. oxysepala. 



Petioles 13 to 50 mm. long 5. C. longipes. 



Indument of scales or of branched hairs. 

 Sepals valvate in bud. 



Leaves linear. Fruit stipitate 6. C. ang'ustifolia. 



Leaves elliptic or oblong. 



Fruit stipitate 7. C. cynophallopliora. 



Fruit sessile 8. C. odoratissima. 



Sepals open in bud. 

 Indument of the leaves chiefly or wholly of stellate hairs. 

 Leaf blades oblanceolate, densely stellate-pubescent on the upper surface. 



9. C. asperifolia. 

 Leaf blades elliptic or lanceolate, soon glabrous on the upper surface. 



10. C. incana. 



