346 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



cruz) ; "palo de chilillo " (Puebla) ; " canjura " (El Salvador) ; " uiata-negro '* 

 (Cuba) ; " bejuco de garrote," " Juan caliente " (Porto Rico). 



The seeds, as well as other parts of the plant, are reported to be very poison- 

 ous, especially to e:i];uivorous animals (they are even said to be harmless to 

 other orders of animals), and they are used for pois(ming coyotes. They are em- 

 ployed also as a remedy for cut;ineous diseases. The roots contain long re- 

 sistant fibers and are used as cordage. They are said also to dye skins a bright 

 purple. The poisonous properties of Old Workl species of the genus are well 

 known. 



2. CNESTIDIUM Planch. Liimaea 24:439. 1850. 



1. Cnestidium rufescens Planch. Linnaea 23:440. 1850. 



Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Tabasco. Cuba ; Central America, the type from 

 Panama. 



Suhscandent shrub, 3 meters high or more ; leaflets 5 to 9, ovate-oblong or 

 oblong-obovate, 3 to 8 cm. long, obtuse or short-acuminate, velvety-pubescent be- 

 neath ; fruit 1.5 cm. long, curved, brown-tomentose ; seed Tnstrous, with a large 

 fleshy aril. 



64. KRAMERIACEAE. Krameria Family. 



1. KRAMERIA Loefl. Iter Hisp. 195. 1758. 



Low, erect or procumbent shrubs with usually sericeous or strigose pu- 

 bescence; leaves alternate, estipulate, small, simple and entire or trifoliolate ; 

 flowers sho\vy, perfect, solitary and axillary or racemose; sepals 4 or 5; 

 petals 5; stamens 4; fruit coriaceou.s, globose or neai-ly so. indehiscent, cov- 

 ered with numerous spines. 



The dried roots of Krameria triandra Ruiz & Pavon, K. iwina Ij., and K. 

 argentea- Mart., all South American species, are official in the U. S. Pharma- 

 copoeia. In commerce they are known as rhatany roots. They are used as a 

 tonic and powerful astringent in the case of chronic diarrhoea, passive hemor- 

 rhages, etc. The Mexican species probably have the same properties, and 

 their roots have been exported. The plants also yield a yellow or brownish 

 red dye, and are employed locally in Mexico for coloring wool and skins. 

 The roots of some species have been used in Europe for making ink, coloring 

 wine, and manufacture of dentifrices. The names "encinilla" (Nuevo Le6n) 

 and " guachapurillo " (Sinaloa) are reported for species of doubtful determi- 

 nation. The name Krameria Ix'ma- has been applied to some of the Mexican 

 species by Sesse and Mociiio ^ and other writers. 



Leaves 3-foliolate • 1. K. cytisoides. 



lieaves simple. 



Fruit glabrous 2. K. palmeri. 



Fruit densely pilose or sericeous. 



Leaves petiolate, 5 to 7 nun. wide 3. K. cuspidata. 



Leaves .ses.'^ile, usually much less than 5 mm. wide. 



Pedicels densely glandular : 4. K. glandulosa. 



Pedicels not glandular. 



Stems procumbent, chiefly herbaceous. 



Flowers yellow ; leaves sericeous 5. K. secundiflora. 



Flowers purple; leaves glabrate 6. K. prostrata. 



Stems erect, often woody throughout. 



Spines of the fruit not barbed 7. K. ramosissima. 



Spines of the fruit barbed. 



'PI. Nov. Hisp. 18. 1887. 



