560 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



The first species of the genus to be described was Swietenia mahagoni Jacq., 

 a West Indian plant which is not known to* occur in Mexico, althougli it has 

 often been reported from the region. All the species are closely related and 

 presumably have similar properties. 



A large amount of mahogany wood is exported from Mexico, especially from 

 Yucatrm and other coastal states (that from Yucatiln is probably S. macrophylla) . 

 The trees grow rapidly and sometimes form extensive pure stands. The wood 

 is used locally for furniture, for canoes, and for various other purposes. 



A gum frequently exudes from the trunk. The bark is said to be bitter and 

 to have astringent, tonic, and febrifuge pi'operties. The juice of the young 

 shoots has been employed in Cuba to heal wounds and to stop hemorrhages. 

 The oil from the seeds ("pepitos de zopilote") was used by the Aztecs as a 

 cosmetic, and is now sometimes used in making toilet soaps. 



The following names are or have been in use in Mexico for species of the 

 genus: " Caoba," " caobo " (Guerrero, Tabasco, Yucatan, Oaxaca ; the word 

 probably of Carib origin) ; " cobano " (Colima, Guerrero) ; " zopilo-zontecoraa- 

 cuahuitl " (Nahuatl, "buzzard-head-tree," in allusion to the fact that the fruits 

 with their curved stalks, when hanging on the trees resemble buzzard heads, as 

 viewed from a short distance) ; " zopilote " ; " tzopilotl " ; " zopilocuahuitl " ; 

 " zopilotl " ; " rosadillo " (Guerrero, Tabasco, Yucatan); " palo zopilote" 

 (Oaxaca, Conzatti). 



One of the species of Swietenia is described by Hernandez * in a chapter 

 headed " De Tzopilotlzonte Gomatl, seu Capite Aurae." 

 Leaflets subsessile; seeds light brown. 



Leaflets 5 to 9 cm. long, 0.8 to 3 cm. wide 1. S. humilis. 



Leaflets S.5 to 14 cm. long, 3 to 5 cm. wide 2. S. cirrhata. 



Leaflets distinctly petloluled ; seeds dark chestnut-brown 3. S. macrophylla. 



1. Swietenia humilis Zucc. Abh. Akad. Muench. 2: 355. pi. 7. 1835-36. 



Michoac&n to Chiapas ; type collected near Tehuantepec, Oaxaca. Guatemala. 



Tree, up to 10 meters high ; leaflets 2 to 5 pairs, elliptic-lanceolate to elliptic- 

 ovate, glabrous ; petals white, 5 mm. long ; capsule 15 to 20 cm. long, 10 to 

 12 cm. thick, umbonate at apex; seeds 6 to 9 cm. long. " C6bano " (Guerrero, 

 Michoac^n, Oaxaca); " flor de venadillo " (Tepic) ; "'caoba" (Chiapas); 

 " gateado " ( Oaxaca ) . 



The seeds are said to be very poisonous. The seeds of a Simetenia supposed 

 to belong to this species are sold by Indian peddlers in Tepic and used to make 

 a tea which is taken for pains in the chest. The wood of this species is not 

 known to be exported in any quantity. 



2. Swietenia cirrhata Blake, Journ. Washington Acad. Sci. 10: 292. /. 2,1). 1920. 

 Sinaloa to Oaxaca, less coastal than the preceding species; type from La 



Salada, Michoacan. El Salvador. 



Tree, up to 15 meters high ; leaflets 8 to 6 pairs, usually with a long filiform 

 twisted cusp at apex. " Venadillo," " caoba " ( Sinaloa ) . 



The wood is much used in carpentry (Sinaloa). 



3. Swietenia macrophylla King in Hook. Icon. PL 16: pi. 1550. 1886. 

 Tabasco and Chiapas. Honduras and Guatemala, and perhaps farther south ; 



type supposed to be from Honduras. 



Tree ; leaflets 3 to 5 pairs, on petiolules 1.5 to 7 mm. long, the blades elliptic 

 to oblong, 6 to 18 cm. long, 2 to 7 cm. wide; petals 4 mm. long; capsule ovoid, 

 15 cm. long, 7.5 cm. thick, subacutely umbonate; seeds 7.5 to 10 cm. long. 

 "Caoba" (Guatemala, Honduras). 



^ Thesaurus 94. 1651. 



