1030 CONTRIBUTIONS FKOM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



1. Terminalia catappa L. Mant. PI. 2: 519. 1771. 



Cultivated in Mexico and perlmps naturalized ; specimens seen from Sinaloa, 

 Tepic, Guerrero, Oasaca, and Yucatan. Native of the East Indies, but gen- 

 erally cultivated in trdpical regions. 



Large tree, sometimes 2.5 meters high, with a trunk 1.5 meters in diameter, 

 the branches whorled, spreading; leaves obovate, 10 to 30 cm. long, rounded 

 and abruptly pointed at apex, narrovped to the base, nearly glabrous; spikes 

 5 to 15 cm. long, the pistillate below ; fruit a woody drupe, ellipsoid or 

 rounded, 4 to 7 cm. long, compressed, 2-edged ; seed 3 to 4 cm. long ; wood hard, 

 close-grained, red-brown, the specific gravity about 0.70. " Almendra " (fruit), 

 '* almendro " (tree), " almendron " (Yucatan, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Pox'to Rico, 

 Costa Rica. Philippines, El Salvador, Santo Domingo) ; " almendrillo " 

 (Oaxaca) ; "almendra de la India" (Cuba, El Salvador). 



The wood of the Indian almond is a valuable source of lumber when pro- 

 curable in sufficient quantit}\ The roots, bark, and fruit contain much tannin, 

 and are employed for tanning skins. The fruit and other parts furnish a 

 permanent black ink and dye, and in India the fruit is employed to color 

 the teeth black. Silkworms are fed upon the leaves. The seeds contain about 

 50 per cent of a fixed oil. They are edible and are used like almonds ; in flavor 

 they suggest filberts. The plant is sometimes used locally in medicine because 

 of its astringent and supposed tonic properties. For illustrations of this 

 species see Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb. 8: f. 13, j)l. 57. 



2. Terminalia excelsa Liebm. (Hemsl. Biol. Centr. Amer. Bot. 1: 402. 1880, 



nomen nudum). 



Veracruz. 



Tree ; leaves obovate, obtuse or acute, attenuate at base to a slender petiole, 

 thinly sericeous when young but soon glabrate; racemes lax, 8 to 10 cm. long, 

 finely fulvous-tomentulose ; calyx lobes short, rounded or very obtuse ; stamens 

 long-exerted, the filaments glabrous ; style 3 to 4 mm. long, glabrous ; very 

 young fruit thinly fulvous-tomentulose. 



No description of this species has been published, apparently. Presumably 

 it was based upon specimens collected at Mirador by Liebmann. The writer 

 has seen a single flowering specimen, with immature leaves, from Zacuapan 

 (Purpus 3800), which is probably of the same species. It appears distinct 

 from either of the species recently described from Panama. 



According to Ramirez, the tree is known in Veracruz as " pucte." 



3. BUCIDA L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 2: 1025. 1759. 



The genus consists of a single species. 

 1. Bucida buceras L. Syst. Nat. ed. 10. 1025. 1759. 



Campeche; reported from Tabasco. Southern Florida, West Indies, and 

 Panama. 



Tree, sometimes 25 meters high, with a trunk 90 cm. in diameter, the crown 

 broad and spreading ; bark gray, scaly ; branches often armed with spines 

 2 to 3 cm. long; leaves alternate but crowded at the ends of the branches, 

 petiolate, obovate, oval, or elliptic, 3 to 9 cm. long, rounded or refuse at apex, 

 entire, coriaceous, sparsely sericeous when yoxing ; flowers perfect, green, in 

 slender spikes ; calyx 3 mm. long, sericeous ; petals none ; stamens 10, ex- 

 serted ; fruit a drupe, ovoid, 7 to 8 mm. long; wood hard, close-grained, yel- 

 lowish brown, its specific gravity about 1.04. " Puk-te " or " piac-t§ " (Cam- 

 peche, Tabasco) ; " Gear," " btjcaro " (Porto Rico) ; " jiicaro de playa " (Cuba). 



The tree is said to be abundant in some parts of the Yucatan Peninsula, 

 and to be a valuable source of lumber. The wood is very durable and is em- 



