810 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



carrying-sticks. This tree is common in all the Indies; I say common, for it is 

 found in these islands and in Tierra-Firme, and it is one of the best trees 

 for wood that can be found, and excellent for making powder ; this I have tried 

 in making ammunition for the fortress of the city of Santo Domingo; and 

 experienced powder makers say that no other wood is so good for making 

 the best powder, not even German willow or filbert branches." 



The tree is illustrated by Hernandez * under the names of " quaucholoti " 

 and " gu^cimo." 



11. NEPHROPETALTTM Robins. & Greenm. Bot. Gaz. 22: 168. 1896. 

 A single species is known. 



1. Nephropetalum pringlei Robins. & Greenm. Bot. Gaz. 22: 168. 1896. 



Known only from the Rio Grande Valley at Hidalgo, Texas, but certainly to 

 be expected in Tamaulipas. 



Low shrub, the stems cinereous-tomentulose, becoming glabrate; leaves 

 petiolate, ovate, 9 to 13 cm. long, obtusely acuminate, deeply cordate at base, 

 crenate-deutate, finely stellate-pubescent above, paler and tomentulose beneath ; 

 flowers greenish, 2 mm. broad, in 2 or 3-flowered axillary umbelliform cymes; 

 calyx 5-parted ; petals clawed, the blade free at apex, not appendaged ; capsule 

 sessile, globose, 5-celled, muricate, the cells 1-seeded. 



12. AYENIA L. Syst Nat. ed. 10. 1247. 1759. 



Shrubs or herbs ; leaves serrate or dentate ; fiowers small, long-pedicellate, 

 axillary, fasciculate or in cymes or umbels ; calyx 5-lobate ; petals 5, long- 

 clav\ed, cucullate, the apex inflexed, adnate to the stamen tube, often with a 

 dorsal gland; anthers 2 or 3-celled, solitary in the sinuses of the stamen tube; 

 fruit a 5-celled capsule, separating into 5 1-seeded carpels, these bivalvate. 



Fruit and ovary long-stipitate, the stipe slender, in fruit 2 to 3 mm. long or 

 .sometimes longer; calyx lobes not I'eflexed. 



Calyx 6 to 8 mm. long; leaves whitish-tomentose beneath 1. A. ovata. 



Calyx 2 to 4 mm. long ; leaves never whitish-tomentose. 



Capsule not muricate, glandular or covered with very short blunt tubercles. 



Leaves narrowly lanceolate 2. A, manzanilloana. 



Leaves ovate or broadly ovate 3. A. wrightii. 



Capsule sharply muricate. 



Blade of petals sagittate at base 4. A. rotundifolia. 



Blade of petals not sagittate at base 5. A. pusilla. 



Fruit and ovary neary sessile, the stipe stout, in fruit less than 1.5 mm. long. 



Leaves glabrous beneath or nearly so 6. A. glabra. 



Leaves densely stellate-pubescent beneatlij or tomentose. 

 Leaves small, 2 cm. long or less, rounded or obtuse at apex. 

 Leaves orbicular or rounded-obvoate, broadest at or above the middle. 



7. A. fruticosa. 

 Leaves ovate or rhombic-ovate, broadest near the base. 



8. A. microphylla. 

 Leaves large, mostly 5 to 10 cm. long, acute or acuminate. 



Lower surface of the leaves covered with a fine close minute pale 

 tomentum. 



Sepals 5 mm. long 9. A. paniculata. 



Sepals 2 to 2.5 mm. long 10. A. magna. 



'Thesaurus 401. 1651. 



