542 CONTEIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



1. Picramnia polyantlia (Benth.) Planch. Lond. Jouru. Bot. 5: 577. 1846. 

 Rhus poUjantha Bentli. PI. Hartw. 60. 1840. 



Puebla and Ouxaca ; type from Villa Alta, mountains of Chinantla, Oaxaca. 

 Slender shrub ; leaflets ovate to oblong-lanceolate, 5 to 10 cm. long, acuminate 

 or long-acuminate, more or less pubescent beneath. 



2. Picramnia xalapensis Planch. Lond. Journ. Bot. 5 : 577. 1846. 

 Known only from the type locality, Jalapa, Veracruz. 



Leaflets narrowly ovate or lanceolate, 1.5 to 3.5 cm. long, glabrate ; petals 

 2 to 2.5 mm. long, linear or linear-lanceolate. 



3. Picramnia tetramera Turcz. Bull. Soc. Nat. Moscou 36*: 598. 1863. 

 Chiapas and probably elsewhere; described from southern Mexico. 

 Leaflets 5 to 13, lanceolate, obtuse-acuminate, densely pubescent beneath ; 



panicles longer than the leaves; fruit pubescent when young. • 



4. Picramnia pistaciaefolia Blake & Standi. Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 20: 218. 



1919. 

 Oaxaca ; type from Cafetal San Rafael, Cerro Espino, altitude 800 meters. 

 Slender shrub ; leaflets about 17, obtuse or subacuminate, sparsely pubescent 

 beneath; panicles 15 to 20 cm. long; fruit 1 cm. long. " Cascara amarga." 

 Used by the Indians as a remedy for syphilis. 



5. Picramnia andicola Tulasne, Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 7: 265. 1847. 

 Veracruz ; type from mountains of Veracruz, at an altitude of 750 meters. 

 Slender shrub, copiously pubescent; leaflets 7 to 13, oblong, ovate-oblong, or 



obovate, 3 to 8.5 cm. long, obtuse-acuminate ; flowers reddish green. 



6. Picramnia lindeniana Tulasne, Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 7: 266. 1847. 

 Known only from the type locality, Rio Puyatapengo, Teapa, Tabasco. 

 Tree ; leaflets 9 to 11, obliquely ovate or lanceolate, 5 to 8 cm. long ; flowers 



white. 



7. Picramnia antidesma Swartz, Prodr. Veg. Ind. Occ. 27. 1788. 

 "^Picramnia teapensis Tulasne, Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 7: 265. 1847. 



Tepic to Chiapas and Tabasco. West Indies and Central America ; type from 

 Jamaica. 



Shrub or tree, sometimes 6 meters high, glabrate; leaflets usually 7 to 13, 

 oval to ovate-oblong, usually acuminate, bright green ; flowers greenish white ; 

 fruit 1.5 cm. long, orange or red. " Chilillo " (Chiapas, Seler) ; " cSscara 

 amarga" (Panama). 



The leaves and bark are bitter, with a flavor resembling that of licorice. 

 The bark was formerly exported to Europe, where it was used as a remedy for 

 erysipelas and venereal diseases. In the West Indies it has been employed in 

 domestic medicine for intermittent fevers and for gastric and intestinal 

 affections. 



DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 



Picramnia bonplandiana Tulasne, Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 7: 206. 1847. Type 

 from Jalapa, Veracruz. 



Picramnia fessonia DC. Prodr. 2: 66. 1825. Described from Mexico. 



72. BTJRSERACEAE. Torchwood Family. 



Reference : Rose, N. Amer. Fl. 25 : 241-261. 1911. 



Aromatic unarmed trees or shrubs ; leaves alternate, estipulate, simple, pin- 

 nate, or bipinnate, the leaflets entire or crenate ; flowers small, perfect or uni- 

 sexual, usually paniculate ; sepals 3 to 5, united below ; petals as many as the 



