344 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



The writer has seen no authentic material of L. seloriana, but from the de- 

 scription it does not appear essentially different. 



3. liicania platjrpus (Hemsl. ) Fritsch, Ann. Naturhist. Hofmus. Wien 4: 53. 

 1889. 



Moquilea platypus Hemsl. Biol. Centr. Amer. Bot. 1: 366. 1880. 



Oaxaca. Central Ajnerica ; type from Granada, Nicaragua. 



Tree, 10 to 15 meters high ; leaves short-petiolate, rounded to short-acuminate 

 at the apex ; panicles large, many-flowered ; fruit obovoid, 13 cm. long or larger, 

 rough, edible. " Mesonzapote " (from mezontli, the crown of leaves left after 

 cutting the heart of the maguey, and sapote) ; " caca de niiio," " zapote ama- 

 rillo," "zapote borracho," "zapote cabello " (Oaxaca); "zapote" (Costa 

 Rica). 



3. HIRTELLA L. Sp. PI. 32. 1753. 

 1. Hirtella americana Aubl. PI. Guian. 247. pi. 98. 1775. 



Hirtella oblongifoHa DC. Prodr. 2: 529. 1825. 



1 Hirtella acavacensis DC. Prodr. 2: 529. 1825. 



Guerrero to Chiapas and Tabasco. Central America and South America ; 

 type from French Guiana. 



Shrub, 2 to 4.5 meters high, with hirsute stems; leaves oblong, elliptic, or 

 oblong-ovate, 5 to 10 cm. long, acute or acuminate, with an obtuse tip, short- 

 petiolate; flowers small, in long loose racemes, the petals pink or purplish, 

 the stamens long-exserted ; fruit about 1 cm. long. " Icaquillo " (Tabasco, 

 Oaxaca) ; " cajetillo " (Guerrero) ; " icaco de aura," " teta de yegua " (Cuba). 



The bark is said to be astringent, and that of some species is used in Brazil 

 for tanning. 



DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 



Hirtella castanea D. C. Prodr. 2: 528. 1825. Based upon a drawing by 

 Mocirio and Sesse, believed to represent a Mexican plant. Probably the same 

 as H. triandra Swartz. 



4. LECOSTEMON Hoc. & Sess6; DC. Prodr. 2: 539. 1825. 

 1. Lecostemon terniflorum Moc. & Sess6; DC. Prodr. 2: 539. 1825. 



Described from Mexico, but not known from specimens. 



Shrub ; leaves oval or obvate-oval, rounded to acutish at apex ; peduncles 

 3-flowered. 



The plant is altogether doubtful, and nothing which closely resembles it 

 has been collected recently. Other species are known from South America. 



5. COUEPIA Aubl. PI. Guian. 1: 519. 1775. 



Trees or shrubs; leaves short-petiolate, coriaceous; flowea-s paniculate, 

 small, tomentulose; fruit often large. 



Stamens 18 to 21 1. C. polyandra. 



Stamens 10 to 15 2. C. dodecandra. 



1. Couepia polyandra (H. B. K.) Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 5: 196. 1899. 



Hirtella polyandra H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 6: 246. pi. 565. 1821. 



Couepia kunthiana Benth. ; Hemsl. Biol. Centr. Amer. Bot. 1: 367. 1880. 



Sinaloa to Oaxaca ; type from Acapulco, Guerrero. 



Shrub or tree. 3 to 8 meters high ; leaves oblong or oval, 5.5 to 13 cm. long, 

 rounded or short-acuminate at apex, whitlsh-tomentose beneath ; flowers about 

 1 cm. long, cream-colored, in short dense panicles ; fruit obovoid, yellow, some- 

 times 7.5 cm. long, edible. " Zapotillo " (Tepic, Guerrero) ; "zapote amarillo " 

 (Guerrero); " guayabito de tinta " (Sinaloa). 



