736 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



The writer has seen no material agreeing with the original description, in 

 which the laclc of pubescence upon the leaves is emphasized. Most Mexican 

 specimens of Tilia have been referred previously to this species. 



3. Tilia occidentalis Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 8: 317. 1905. 



Michoac^n and Guerrero ; type from mountains near Patzcuaro, MichoacSn. 



Leaves 7 to 15 cm. long (on young shoots as much as 23 cm.), 5.5 to 11 cm, 

 wide, abruptly short-acuminate, obliquely truncate to cordate at base, gla- 

 brous above, loosely tomentose beneath or in age glabrate ; bracts sessile or 

 short-pedunculate ; petals 6 to 7 mm. long ; fruit about 6 mm. long. " Sirimo," 

 " tirimo " (MichoacS-n). 



4. Tilia houg-hi Rose, Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 8: 318. 1905. 



Michoacjtn to Oaxaca, Hidalgo, and Veracruz; type from Cuernavaca, 

 Morelos. 



Leaves 6 to 16 cm. long, 4.5 to 12 cm. wide, abruptly short-acuminate, ob- 

 liquely truncate to cordate at base, bright green and glabrate above, densely 

 and persistently tomentulose beneath; bracts sessile or pedunculate; petals 6 

 to 7 mm. long ; fruit about 7 mm. in diameter, densely tomentulose. " Tilo " 

 (Valley of Mexico); "sirimo" or " cirimo " (Valley of Mexico, Oaxaca); 

 " yaca " (Oaxaca). 



A Tilia has been reported from Jalisco by Oliva, and is probably of this 

 species. The plant is employed in Mexico as a substitute for the European T. 

 europaea. A decoction of the leaves is used to heal wounds and as a remedy 

 for rheumatism. 



2. CORCHORUS L. Sp. PI. 529. 1753. 



Herbs or shrubs, with mostly simple hairs ; leaves serrate ; flowers axillary 

 or opposite the leaves, the peduncles mostly 1-flowered ; flowers small, yellow ; 

 fruit a capsule, elongate and silique-like, 2 to 5-celled, many-seeded. 



The species are essentially herbs, but they sometimes persist and become 

 suffrutescent. C. capsularis L. and C. oUtorius L. of the Old World tropics 

 furnish the jute fiber of commerce. 



Capsiiles strongly compressed, 2-horned at apex 1. C. siliquosus. 



Capsule only slightly compressed, acuminate at apex, not 2-horned. 



Capsules erect-ascending, straight 2. C. orinocensis. 



Capsules spreading, curved 3. C. hirtus. 



1. Corchorus siliquosus L. Sp. PI. 529. 1753. 



Reported from Yucatan and Tabasco. Texas, West Indies, Central America, 

 and northern South America. 



Plants herbaceous or woody, often 1 meter high, the stems pilosulous or gla- 

 brate ; leaves short-petiolate, ovate, lance-ovate, or obovate, 0.5 to 2.5 cm. 

 long, obtuse or acute, crenate-dentate, glabrous ; petals 5 mm. long ; capsules 

 4 to 5 mm. long. " Te de perla " (El Salvador); " escoba blanca " (Porto 

 Rico) ; " malva te " (Cuba, Porto Rico) ; " te " (Panama). 



The leaves are sometimes employed as a substitute for Chinese tea. 



2. Corchorus orinocensis H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 5: 337. 1821. 



Yucatfin and probably el.sewhere. Arizona, West Indies, and South America. 



Stems puberulent or glabrate ; leaves narrowly lanceolate to ovate, 3.5 to 6 

 cm. long, usually long-acuminate, crenate, glabrous ; petals about 8 mm. long ; 

 capsules 3.5 to 5 cm. long. 



