I 



STANDLEY TREES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 343 



18. Prunus brachybotrya Zucc. Abh. Akad. Wiss. Miinchen 2:348. 1837. 



Prunm laurifoUa Sohlecht. Linnaea 13: 91. 1839. 



Prunus schiedeana Steud. Nom. Bot. ed. 2. 2:404. 1841. 



Laurocerasus me.vicuna Roeni. Syn. Rosifl. 3: 90. 1847. 



Laurocerasits brachybotrya Roeni. Syu. Rosifl. 3: 91. 1847. 



Veracruz to Oaxaca. 



Tree, sometimes very large, with large, oblong to oval, bright green leaves. 

 " Cerezo " ( Oaxaca >. 



DOUBTFUL OR EXCLUDED SPECIES. 



Hemsley reported Prunus ilcniissa (Nutt. ) Walp. and P. virginiana L. from 

 Mexico, but the reports are doubtless based on incorrect determinations. 



Pbunus ferbuginea (Seringe) Steud. Nom. Bot. ed. 2. 2:400. 1841. Gerasus 

 ferruginea Seringe in DC. Prodr. 2: 540. 1825. Described from Mexico. Said to 

 have obovate leaves. Probably not of this genus. 



2. LICANIA Aubl. PI. Guian. 1:119. 1775. 

 Tree.s, glabrous or pubescent ; leaves small or large, short-petiolate ; flowers 

 small, paniculate ; fruit often very large. 



Leaves 2 to 3 cm. wide, glabrous. Ovary glabrous 1. L. retifolia. 



Leaves 5.5 to 12 em. wide, often pubescent. 



Leaves oval or rounded-oval, 8.5 to 13 cm. long, broadly rounded or subcordate 

 at base, tomentulose beneath when young; ovary glabrous. 



2. L. arborea. 

 Leaves oblong to oblong-oblanceolate, 18 to 35 cm. long or larger, rounded or 

 acute at base, glabrous or nearly so beneath ; ovary strigillose. 



3. L. platypus. 



1. Licania retifolia Blake, Contr. Gray Herb. 52:66. 1917. 



Known only from the type locality, Cerro de los Cajones, Michoacan or Guer- 

 rero, altitude 1,000 meters. 



Tree, 5 to 8 meters high ; leaves lanceolate or obovate, 4.3 to 10 cm. long, acute 

 to rounded at apex, bright green ; flowers small, greenish white. 



2. Licania arborea Seem. Bot. Voy. Herald 118. pi. 25. 1853. 

 Licania seleriana Loes. Verb. Bot. Ver. Brand. 53: 55. 1911. 



Guerrero and Oaxaca; reported from Morelos and Michoacan. Central Amer- 

 ica ; type from Panama. 



Tree, 4.5 to 6 meters high or larger; leaves short-petiolate, thick, pale beneath, 

 the venation very conspicuous ; panicles 15 to 20 cm. long, the flowei"S yellowish ; 

 fruit 2.5 cm. long or larger, containing a single large oily seed. " Cacahua- 

 nauche," " cacahuate," " cacahoanantzin," " quirindol cacahuananche," " qui- 

 rlndal," " caiia dulce," " cacahoananche " (Guerrero, Morelos, Oaxaca, etc.); 

 " frailecillo," " palo de fraile," " totopostle " (Oaxaca); " alcornoque " (Costa 

 Rica); '• encina " (Guatemala, Honduras). 



The seeds contain about 30 per cent of oil, and burn readily when ignited. 

 They are often strung on sticks and used for illuminating purposes. The oil is 

 extracted in large quantities and is used for making candles, soap, axle grease, 

 «tc. It has a peculiar odor and a disagreeable flavor, and a green color which 

 it imparts to soap made from it.* 



* See J. C. Segura & M. D. Cordero, ReseSa sobre el cultivo de algunas plantas 

 industriales, pp. 33-40. 1884. 

 55268—22 12 



