470 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 



Bbongniabtia gracilis Hemsl. Biol. Centr. Amer. Bot. 1 : 253. 1880. Described 

 from Mexico, the exact locality not known. 



Bbongniabtia oligospebmoides Baill. Adansonia 9: 240. 1868-70. Type from 

 Xochialco. 



16. BARBIERIA DC. M6m. L#gura. 241. 182.5. 



1. Barbieria pinnata (Pers.) Baill. Hist. PI. 2: 263. 1870. 



Galactia pinnata Pers. Syn. PI. 2: 302. 1807. 



Clitoria- polyphyUa Poir. in Lam. Encycl. Suppl. 2: 300. 1811. 



Barbieria polyphyUa DC. M6m. Legum. 242. 1825. 



Southern Mexico, the exact localities not known, but probably in Veracruz 

 or Oaxaca or both. Greater Antilles, Central America, and South America. 



Shrub, 0.5 to 4 meters high, erect or scandent ; leaves odd-pinnate, with 

 numerous oblong leaflets ; flowers red, about 5.5 cm. long, racemose ; fruit 

 linear, hirsute. " Enredadera " (Porto Rico). 



17. CRACCA L. Sp. PI. 752. 1753. 

 Low unarmed shrubs ; leaves pinnate, the leaflets usually numerous but 

 sometimes only 1 or 3, commonly with numerous close parallel lateral nerves; 

 flowers small or large, racemose ; fruit linear, flat, bivalvate. 



Many of the Mexican plants of this genus are probably to be classed as 

 herbs rather than shrubs, although most of them are inclined to be sufErutescent, 

 at least at the base. All the Mexican species except one which, so far as 

 known, is always a herbaceous annual, are included in the present treatment. 

 Most of the species have very tough stems, which are broken with difliculty. 

 Cracca viginiana L., of the United States, a herbaceous species, was used by 

 the Indians of the Southeastern States to poison fish. It is said also to have 

 diaphoretic and powerful anthelmintic properties. 



Leaflets densely tomentose beneath, very obtuse at apex, large, 1 to 5 or 

 rarely 7. 



Leaflets 5 or 7 1. C. lanata. 



Leaflets usually 1 or 3, the lateral ones, when present, often much reduced. 



Calyx long-pilose ; leaflet one, oval or broadly oblong 2. C. platyphylla. 



Calyx short-pilose ; leaflets usually 3, oblong. 



Calyx about 2 cm. long 3. C. diversifolia. 



Calyx about 1 cm. long 4. C. micheliana. 



Leaflets sericeous or glabrate beneath, or rarely short-pilose but then acute. 



Leaflets nearly or quite as broad as long 5. C. potosina. 



Leaflets much longer than broad. 

 A. Leaflets rounded or very obtuse at base. 



Leaflets 1 to 7, glabrous or densely white-sericeous beneath. 



Leaflets densely white-sericeous beneath 6. C. watsoniana. 



Leaflets glabrous beneath 7. C. madrensis. 



Leaflets more than 7 in all or most of the leaves, or if fewer neither 

 glabrous nor densely white-sericeous beneath. 

 Pubescence of the stems closely appressed. 

 Fruit pubescent. 



Pubescence of the stems closely appressed ; leaflets 3 to 4 cm. long. 



8. C. rhodantha. 

 Pubescence of the stems often partly spreading ; leaflets 1.5 to 



2.6 cm. long 17. C. leucantha. 



Fruit glabrous, at least on the sides. 



Fruit glabrous on the edges; leaflets 2.5 to 4 cm. long. 



9. C. leiocarpa. 



