STANDLEY — TREES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 707 



stamens 8 ; fruit a capsule, coriaceous or somewhat fleshy, 2 to 4-lobed ; seeds 

 arillate. 



The seeds of some species are edible, and are said to have a flavor like that 

 of chestnuts. In Guadeloupe a fermented drink has been made from them. 

 An infusion of the leaves has been employed in the West Indies as a remedy 

 for affections of the bladder and intestines. 



Leaflets 4 or 6, or the leaves simple ; capsule thin, deeply lobed. 



1. C. macrophylla. 

 Leaflets usually about 10 ; capsule thick, shallowly or scarcely at all lobed. 



2. C. glabra. 



1. Cupania macrophylla A. Rich. Ess. Fl. Cuba 291. 1845. 

 Tamaulipas and perhaps elsewhere. Cuba (type locality) ; Guatemala. 

 Shrub or small tree ; leaflets oblong, oval-oblong, or obovate-oblong, 5 to 14 



cm. long, obtuse or rounded at apex, entirely or nearly so, glabrous; racemes 

 simple or paniculate, sparsely puberulent ; fruit about 1.5 cm. long. " Guara 

 macho," "guara colorada " (Cuba); "carbon Colorado" (Guatemala, Blake). 

 The Tamaulipas specimens, determined by Radlkofer, are noteworthy be- 

 cause nearly all their leaves are simple. 



2. Cupania glabra Swartz, Prodr, Veg. Ind. Occ. 61. 1788. 



Sinaloa to Oaxaca and Veracruz. Southern Florida, Cuba, Jamaica, Porto 

 Rico, and Costa Rica. 



Shrub or tree, sometimes 12 meters high ; leaflets mostly oblong, 7 to 16 

 cm. long, rounded at apex, entire or crenate-serrate, glabrous or at first sparsely 

 pubescent beneath ; panicles puberulent, often equaling or exceeding the leaves ; 

 capsule brown, 12 to 15 mm. long. " Guara blanca," " guara de costa " (Cuba) ; 

 " huanchal " ( Oaxaca ) . 



The wood is said to be hard, compact, heavy, and red. 



DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 



Cupania amekicana L. Sp. PI. 200. 1753. This has been reported from 

 Tabasco and Veracruz, but the writer has seen no specimens. The plant is 

 similar to C. glabra, but has copiously pubescent leaves. In Tabasco it is 

 said to be known as " chichon Colorado." 



Cupania excelsa H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 5: 125, 1821. Type collected be- 

 tween Mazatian and Zumpango, Guerrero. 



12. MATAYBA Aubl. PI. Guian. 1: 331. 1775. 



Erect shrubs or trees ; leaves alternate or opposite, persistent, pinnate ; 

 flowers in terminal and lateral panicles ; calyx 5-lobate ; petals 5 ; stamens 8 ; 

 fruit a capsule, acutely or obtusely 3-angulate. 



Leaflets conspicuously crenate-serrate, rounded or retuse at apex ; leaves alter- 

 nate 1. M. scrobiculata. 



Leaflets entire or nearly so, usually narrowed at the apex ; leaves mostly oppo- 

 site 2. M. apetala. 



1. Matayba scrobiculata (H. B. K.) Radlk. Sitzungsb. Akad. Wiss. MUnchen 

 9: 627. 1879. 



Cupania scroUculata H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 5: 127. 1821. 



Colima and Guerrero. Central America, Colombia, and Venezuela ; type 

 from Turbaco, Colombia. 



Tree, about 7.5 meters high ; leaflets 4 to 8, oblong or obovate-oblong, 6 to 

 12 cm. long, coriaceous, glabrous ; panicles equaling or longer than the leaves, 

 minutely puberulent ; flowers greenish yellow, sweet-scented. 



