594 CONTRIBUTIONS FEOM THE NATIONAL. HERBARIUM. 



One species of the genus, known as " eontraveneno " and " palomita morada," 

 is said to be used in Nicaragua as a remedy for snake bites. 

 Leaves strigillose to sparsely pubescent beneath ; pedicels strigillose or pubescent 



with incurved hairs 1. S. diversifolia. 



Leaves densely and softly pilosulous or pilose beneath ; pedicels densely and 



softly spreading or ascending-puberulous 2. S. sylvestris. 



1. Securidaca diversifolia (L.) Blake. 

 Polygala diversifolia L. Sp. PI. 703. 1753. 



Securidaca acuminata Schlecht. Linnaea 14: 382. 1840. Not S. acuminata 

 St. Hil. 1829. 



Securidaca schlechtendaliana Walp. Repert. Bot. 1: 236. 1842. 



Elsota schlechtendaliana Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 1: 46. 1891. 



1 Securidaca myrtifolia Chod. Bull. Herb. Boiss. 3: 546. 1895. 



Tamaulipas to Michoacfln (or Guerrero) and southward. Central America to 

 Ecuador; West Indies. 



Trailing or high-climbing shrub, strigillose or ascending-puberulous ; leaves 

 elliptic-oblong to ovate or oval, 3.8 to 12 cm. long, 2.2 to 5.7 cm. wide, thick, 

 above somewhat shining, prominulous-reticulate and paler beneath ; racemes 

 usually 6 to 14 cm. long; flowers pink to purplish, the keel with yellow tip; 

 wings suborbicular to oval-ovate, 8.5 to 11.8 mm. long, 6 to 8 mm. wide ; samara 

 puberulous, 4 to 6 cm. long; fruiting cell wing-margined on upper side, the 

 margin prolonged beyond the cell and connate with the proper wing. " Flor de 

 arrayan ■' (Oaxaca). 



2. Securidaca sylvestris Schlecht. Linnaea 14: 381. 1840. 

 Elsota sylvestris Kuntze, Rev. Gen. PI. 1: 46. 1891. 



Veraci-uz to Tepic and southward; type from Jalapa, Veracruz. Central 

 America. 



Shrub, climbing to a height of 25 meters, the branchlets densely and softly 

 puberulous; leaves ovate to elliptic or oblong-ovate, 2.7 to 7.5 cm. long, 1.2 to 

 3.3 cm. wide, dull both sides and softly pubescent ; racemes 1.5 to 11 cm. long ; 

 flowers wine-red or rosy; wings suborbicular, 8 to 11 mm. long; samara 

 spread ing-puberulous, 3.8 to 4.7 cm. long; fruiting cell narrowly winged on 

 upper side, the wing prolonged for 3 to 7 mm. beyond the fruiting cell and 

 connate with proper wing. 



3. MONNINA Ruiz & Pav. Syst. Veg. Peruv. Chil. 169. 1798. 



Herbs or shrubs, very rarely scandent; leaves in ours estipulate; flowers* 

 racemed; outer sepals free or the 2 lower united; wings petaloid; keel not 

 crested; stamens 8 or 6; fruit (in the following species) drupaceous, 1-celled, 

 1-seeded, with rugose endocarp surface and thin fleshy exocarp. 



Racemes not at all comose ; bracts ovate, obtuse to acute, 1.2 to 2.5 mm. long. 

 Peduncles and young branches densely pilose-tomentose. 



1. M. schlechtendaliana. 



Peduncles and young branches strigillose 2. M. xalapensis. 



Racemes comose toward apex ; bracts lance-subulate to ovate, acuminate to 

 attenuate, 2.5 to 7 mm. long. 

 Stem and leaves merely strigillose or incurved-puberulous — 3. M. sylvatica. 

 Stem and leaves spreading-pilosulous or hirsutuloua 

 Branches and leaves softly spreading-pilosulous ; leaves oval, cuneate to 



rounded at base 4. M. guatemalensis. 



Branches and leaves hirsutulous; leaves lanceolate, long-attenuate at base. 



5. M. subserrata. 



