STANDLEY TREES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 511 



1. Ichthyomethia grandifolia (Donn. Smith) Blake, Journ. Washington Acad. 



Sci. 9: 245. 1919. 



Derris grandifolia Donn. Smith. Bot. Gaz. 56: 55. 1913. 



Puebla and Oaxaca. Guatemala ; type from Cerro Gordo. 



Tree ; leaflets 7 to 11, oval, 5.5 to 10 cm. long, crisped-pilosulous above, 

 rounded at apex; calyx 7 to 8 mm. long; banner petal glabrous, 10 mm. long; 

 fruit 4 to 9 cm. long, 3 to o-seeded. 



2. Ichthyomethia mollis (Rose) Blake, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci. 9: 



246. 1919. 



Piscidm mollis Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 1: 98. 1891. 



Sonora and Sinaloa ; type from Alamos, Sonora. 



Shrub or tree, 3 to 16 meters high, the trunk sometimes 70 cm. in diameter ; 

 leaflets 7 to 13, oval, 3 to 8 cm. long, densely pilosulous on the upper surface ; 

 fruit 2.5 to 5 cm. long, 1 to 3-seeded. "Palo bianco" (Sonora, Sinaloa). 



The wood is of some impoitance for building purposes. The flowers have 

 not been collected. 



3. Ichthyomethia communis Blake, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci. 9: 247. 



1919. 



Tamaulipas and San Luis PotosI to Yucatan. Honduras, Cuba, and Florida 

 (type from Ramrod Key). 



Tree, sometimes 25 meters high ; leaflets 7 or 9, oblong or elliptic, 4 to 12 

 cm. long, acute or short-pointed ; calyx 4.5 mm. long ; banner cinereous-pubes- 

 cent outside ; fruit 2.5 to 7.5 mm. long, 1 to 6-seeded ; wood weak, close-grained, 

 yellowish brown, its specific gravity about 0.87. " HaabI," " habi," " haabin " 

 (Yucatan, Maya); " chijol " (Tamaulipas, Veracruz); " flor de papagallo " 

 (Ramires) ; " cocuite," " javin " (Veracruz, Yillada) ; " guanft hedionda " 

 (Cuba). 



This has been confused with /. piscipula (L.) Hitchc. (Erythrina piscipula 

 L. ; Piscidia erythrina L. ; Piscidia piscipula Sarg.). a species confined ap- 

 parently to Jamaica, where it is known as " dogwood." The properties dis- 

 cussed below are probably common to all or most of the species. 



The wood is very durable, especially in water, and takes a fine polish. It 

 has been used for boat building, fuel, and charcoal. Robelo states that in 

 Mexico there is a popular belief that the wood petrifies after many years, be- 

 ginning at the heart. The dry bark, especially that of the root, has a strong 

 and disagreeable odor of opium ; it produces a burning sensation in the mouth. 

 It contains substances (one of which has been named pisciuin) which are 

 narcotic and analgesic, and has been used as an anodyne in neuralgia, nervous 

 insomnia, whooping cough, etc. The extract of the bark is sometimes employed 

 in tropical America for relieving toothache, applied locally, and that of the 

 Jamaican species to cure mange in dogs. The best-known use of the tree, 

 however, is its employment for poisoning or stupefying fish, the bark and leaves 

 being crushed and thrown into the water. It is said that the Caribs used the 

 iuice for poisoning their arrows, but this appears doubtful. 

 4. Ichthyomethia americana (Sess6 & Moc.) Blake, Journ. Washington 

 Acad. Sci. 9: 248. 1919. 



Piscidia americana Sess§ & Moc. PI. Nov. Hisp. 116. 1887. 



Michoac^n and Guerrero ; type from Apatzingan, Michoacdn. Guatemala. 



Tree; leaflets 9 to 13, oval-oblong or elliptic-oblong. 4 to 8 cm. long, rounde<i 

 to acute at the apex ; calyx 6 to 7 nmi. long ; standard 15 mm. long, cinereous- 

 puberulent outside ; fruit 1.5 to 7.5 cm. long, 1 to 6-seeded. " Tatzungo," *' zat- 

 zumbo " (Michoacan, Tarascan) ; " cocuile," " color! n de peces," " matapez " 

 (Guerrero). 



