524 CONTEIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL, HERBARIUM. 



7. VISCAINOA Greene, Pittouia 1: 163. 18S8. 

 1. Viscainoa geniculata (Kellogg) Greene, Pittonla 1: 163. 1888. 



Staphylea geniculata Kellogg, Proc. Calif. Acad. 2: 22. 1859. 



Baja California and western Sonora ; type from Sau Sebastian Bay, Baja 

 California. 



Shrub, 1.5 to 3.5 meters high, cinereous-pubescent, with crooked branches; 

 leaves alternate, simple or pinnate, with 3 or 5 leaflets, these mostly oval, 2 

 to 5 cm. long ; flowers large, yellowish white ; fruit a capsule, 2 to 3 cm. 

 long, usually 4-lobed. " GuayacSn " (Baja California). 



68. RUTACEAE. Rue Family. 



Kefekence : P. Wilson, N. Amer. Fl. 25 : 173-224. 1911. 



Aromatic trees or shrubs, often armed with spines, usually furnished with 

 glands in bark, leaves, and fruit ; leaves opposite or alternate, estipulate, 

 simple or compound ; flowers perfect or unisexual, large or small ; calyx 

 inferior, with 3 to 5 lobes or sepals ; petals 3 to 5, usually imbricate, some- 

 times united ; stamens as many or twice as many as the petals ; ovary of 1 

 to 5 or more free or united carpels ; styles free or connate ; fruit a follicle, 

 capsule, samara, drupe, or berry. 



No herbaceous plants of the family are natives of Mexico. The rue family 

 includes the important tropical citrus fruits, of which the following, and 

 perhaps some others, are cultivated in Mexico. Citrus medica L., the citron 

 ("cidra," " cedro lim6n," "cidrero"), with large fruits containing scant 

 pulp, the rind of which is candied and used in confectionery ; C. limonia 

 Osbeck, the lemon ("lim6n," limon agrio," " limonero" ; " nimvl," OtomI; 

 " tzapposh," Mixe) ; C. aurantifoUa (Christm. ) Swingle,^ the lime ("lima," 

 "lima chica," "limon dulce," "lima chicona"); C. aurantium L., the sour 

 orange ("naranja agria"); C. s-inesis Osbeck, the common or sweet orange 

 ("naranja," "naranja dulce"; " yaga-naraxo," Zapotec ; " tzaptzouk," " tzap- 

 kiuk," " tzaptzuik," Mixe; " nanxa," " xidni," OtomI); C. grandis Osbeck, the 

 grapefruit, pomelo, or shaddock ("toronja"); Triphasia trifolia (Burm.) P. 

 Wilson, the lime-berry (" limoncito "), a small tree, grown for ornament. Some 

 of these trees have escaped from cultivation in the warmer parts of Mexico. 



The citrus fruits were introduced into Mexico by the Spaniards immedi- 

 ately after the Conquest. Bernal Diaz del Castillo " claims for himself the honor 

 of introducing the orange into Mexico, in 1518, while he was with Grijalva's 

 expedition. His account is as follows : "As this country [in Tabasco, at the 

 mouth of the Tonaia River] is infested by mosquitos, in order to avoid them 

 I went to sleep in a large temple, near which I at this time sowed seven or 

 eight seeds of oranges, which I had brought from Cuba. They grew very well, 

 for the priests of the temple took care of them when they saw that they were 

 uncommon plants. This I mention, because they were the first trees of the 

 kind that ever grew in New Spain. After the conquest of Mexico, this prov- 

 ince being considered as offering the greatest advantages, was chosen by most 

 of the principal persons amongst the conquerors, of which number I was one ; 

 and on my arrival there I went in search of, and found my young trees flour- 

 ishing, and having transplanted them, they all did very well." 



^ Often known incorrectly as Citrus limetta. 



' True history of the Conquest of Mexico, translation by Keating, p. 23. 1800J 



