I 



1024 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



42. Parsonsia subuligera (Koehne) Standi. 



Cuphea suhuligera Koehne in Mart. Fl. Bras. 132: 231. 1877. 



Cuphea dodecandra Hemsl. Diag. PI. Mex. 51. 1880. 



Puebla and Chiapas. 



Stems suffrutescent, glabrous; leaves short-petiolate, lance-ovate to oblong- 

 lanceolate, 4 to 10 cm. long, long-acuminate, glabrous and smooth ; flowers in 

 distinct racemes, the pedicels 3 to 11 mm. long; calyx 23 to 28 mm. long, 

 pink or purple, glabrate. 



43. Parsonsia caeciliae (Koehne) Standi. 

 Cuphea caeciliae Koehne, Bull. Herb. Boiss. 7: 564. 1899. 

 Known only from the type locality, Rio Saconeja, Chiapas. 

 Similar to P. subuligera ; leaves wider; calyx 20 to 30 mm. long, purple-red, 



densely glandular-hirtellous. 



44. Parsonsia ignea (A. DC.) Standi. 

 Cuphea platycentra Lem. Fl. Gewiichshaus. 2: pi. 180. 1846. Not C. platy- 



centra Benth. 1839. 



Cuphea ignea A. DC. Fl. Serr, Jard. 3: 500C. 1849. 



Veracruz, Oaxaca, and Chiapas. Jamaica. 



Stems suffrutescent 1 meter high or less, glabrous; leaves short-petiolate, 

 lanceolate or ovate, 2 to 8.5 cm. long, acuminate, glabrous ; pedicels 5 to 20 mm. 

 long ; calyx 18 to 25 nun. long, bright red. 



45. Parsonsia liebmannii (Koehne) Standi. 

 ■ Cuphea liebmannii Koehne in Mart. Fl. Bi-as. IS^: 231. 1877. 



Type from Tolontepec. 



Similar to P. ignea ; stem, leaves, and calyx pilose with spreading hairs ; 

 calyx 17 mm. long. 



3. LAFOENSIA Vand. Fl. Lusit. Bras. 33. 1788. 



The other species are natives of South America. 



1. Lafoensia punicaefolia DC. Mem. Soc. Phys. Hist. Nat. Geneve S^: 86. pi. 

 1. 1826. 



Guerrero and Oaxaca, at altitudes of 300 to 450 meters. Central America to 

 Bolivia and Venezuela ; type from Santa Marta, Colombia. 



Tree, 16 meters high or less, the bark dark brown ; leaves opposite, short- 

 petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, 5 to 11 cm. long, obtuse-acuminate, glabrous, with 

 a conspicuous pore beneath just below the apex ; flowers racemose or sub- 

 paniculate, 12 to 16-parted ; calj'x campanulate, 3 cm. long, very thick and 

 leathery ; petals 3 to 3.5 cm. long, pale yellow, turning red in age ; stamens sev- 

 eral times as long as the calyx, the filaments red ; fruit an ovoid capsule, 3 cm. 

 long or larger; wood rather hard, heavy, strong, tough, fine-grained, taking a 

 good polish, the sapwood pale yellow, the heartwood slightly darker. " Co- 

 Quito " (Oaxaca) ; " moreno " (Guerrero) ; " palo culebra," " palo de culebra " 

 (Guatemala); " amarillo " (Panama); " trompillo," " cuyapo " (El Salva- 

 dor). 



A fine yellow dye is obtained from the tree in Guerrero and Panama. In El 

 Salvador it is often planted for shade. 



4. LYTHCBUM L. Sp. PI. 446. 1753. 



Plants herbaceous or sometimes frutescent, slender, glabrous, growing in 

 wet soil ; leaves opposite in the species here listed, sometimes alternate, nar- 

 row ; flowers axillary, solitary, 4 to 6-parted ; calyx tubular, with small ap- 

 pendages ; petals white, pink, or purple ; capsule bivalvate. 



