500 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



beneath along the veins ; racemes short and dense, on very long peduncles ; 

 banner 4.5 to G cm. long, glabrous. 



Erythrina horrida DC* is probably the older name for the species. It was 

 based upon one of Sess6 and Mocino's plates which, however, is too poor for 

 certain identification. It is possible that E. horrida is rather to be referred to 

 E. leptorhiza. 



3. Erythrina leptorhiza DC. Prodr. 2: 413. 1825. 

 Michoaciin to Hidalgo and Mexico. 



Stems probably always herbaceous, 30 to 60 cm. high, usually prickly ; leaf- 

 lets 4 to 13 cm. long, acute or obtuse, puberulent or glabrate, often aculeolate 

 beneath along the veins, the venation usually prominent and reticulate ; banner 

 7 to 8 cm. long; fruit 2 to 4-seeded, slightly constricted between the seeds, 

 densely aculeate ; seeds nearly black, about 1.5 cm. long. " Patol," " colorin 

 negro" (Michoacan) ; " cochizquilitl " {Urbina). 



The roots are thick and fleshy or somewhat woody. The name Erythrina 

 leptocalyx Rose was applied to specimens of this species, and has appeared in 

 print, but it has never been properly published. 



4. Erythrina rubrinervia H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 6: 434. 1823. 



Oaxaca, Chiapas, and Veracruz. Guatemala to Colombia; Cuba; type from 

 Fusagasuga, Colombia, 



Shrub or tree, 2.5 to 9 meters high, with broad crown, the branches spiny 

 or unarmed ; leaflets 6 to 18 cm. long, usually acute or acuminate, glabrous or 

 nearly so, paler beneath; banner 7 to 8.5 cm. long; fruit strongly constricted 

 between the seeds ; seeds 8 to 10 mm. long, scarlet. " Pi to " (Guatemala). 



5. Erythrina montana Rose & Standi. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 20: 179. 1919. 

 Durango to Jalisco ; type from the Sierra Madre near Santa Teresa, Tepic. 

 Stems probably always herbaceous, 60 cm. high, unarmed; leaflets 4 to 13 



cm. long, rounded to acute at ai^ex, glabrous or nearly so, conspicuously reticu- 

 late-veined, iisually minutely aculeolate beneath along the veins ; standard 5 

 to 7 cm. long, glabrous; fruit 1 to 4-seeded, slightly constricted between the 

 seeds. 



The flowers seem to vary considerably in color, being purplish green, or 

 amber-colored tinted with salmon. 



6. Eyrthrina lanata Rose, U. S. Dept. Agr. N. Anier. Fauna 14: 81. f. 1. 1899. 

 Guerrero and Oaxaca ; type from Acapulco, Guerrero. 



Shrub with spiny branches ; leaflets 4 to 7 cm. long or larger, pointed, glabrous 

 or nearly so, paler beneath ; seeds scarlet, 7 to 8 mm. long. 



7. Erythrina occidentalis Standi. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 20: 180. 1919. 

 Sinaloa and Tepic; type from Mazatlan, Sinaloa. 



Shrub or small tree, often 5 to 6 meters high, with gray spiny branches, leaf- 

 less at anthesis ; leaflets 5 to 17 cm. long, acute or acutish, tomentulose beneath 

 when young but soon glabrate ; racemes dense, elongate ; flowers rose or red ; 

 fruit 5 to 10-seeded; seeds scarlet, about 12 mm. long. "Colorin" (Sinaloa). 



The wood is used to some extent, and is said to be durable in dry places. 

 Bottle stoppers are often made from it. 



8. Erythrina herbacea L. Sp. PI. 706. 1753. 



Tamaulipas and San Luis Polosf. Southeastern United States. 



Shrub or small tree, 1 to 3 meters high or larger, with few stiff branches, the 

 trunk very spiny ; leaflets 4 to 8 cm. long, usually acute or acutish, glabrous or 

 nearly so, usually somewhat 3-lobetl ; banner 5 to 5.5 cm. long, red or reddish ; 



* Prodr. 2: 413. 1825. 



I 



