1038 CONTBIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



5. MYRTTJS L. Sp. PL 471. 1753. 



Shrubs or trees ; peduncles usually axillary and l-flowered, with 2 bractlets 

 at apex ; flowers 4 or 5-parted ; calyx tube turbinate, the lobes imbricate ; 

 petals spreading ; fruit baccate, containing 1 or 2 or several seeds. 



The Mexican species are difficult to distinguish from those of Eugenia, but 

 ihe Mexican representatives of the latter genus usually have larger leaves 

 and fasciculate flowers. The common myrtle of southern Europe and 

 western Asia, Myrtus communis L. ("mirto") is said to be cultivated oc- 

 casionally in Mexico. Wreaths of its branches were worn by the Athenian 

 magistrates and by victors in the Olympic games. 



Flowers fasciculate or racemose; leaves oblong-linear 1. M. oaxacana. 



Flowers solitary ; leaves lanceolate or broader. 

 Calyx lobes suborbicular, rounded at apex. 



Leaves obtuse, glabrous 2. M. ehrenbergii. 



Leaves acute, strigillose beneath 3. M. ledophylla. 



Calyx lobes deltoid or lanceolate, acute or acutish. 



Calyx lobes deltoid ; petals 6 mm. long 4. M. berlandiereana. 



Calyx lobes lance-oblong; petals 3 to 4 mm. long 5. M. montana. 



1. Myrtus oaxacana Standi., sp. nov. 



Type collected between .Juchitan and Chivela, Oaxaca (Nelson 2631; U. S. 

 Nat. Herb. no. 566319). 



Branches terete, grayish, glabrous, densely leafy; leaves short-petiolate, 

 oblong-linear or lance-linear, 14 to 40 mm. long, 2 to 4 mm. wide, obtuse, 

 acute at base, glabrous, densely gland-dotted, the lateral nerves evident, the 

 margins thickened ; flowers partly fa.sciculate in the axils and partly in few- 

 flowered racemes, the pedicels slender, 3 to o mm. long ; bractlets minute ; 

 calyx 1 to 1.5 mm. long, glabrous, gland-dotted, the 4 lobes semiorbicular, 

 shorter than the tube ; petals glabrous, eciliate, 2.5 mm. long. 



The plant is very unlike the other Mexican species of the genus, and it is 

 not at all certain that it is properly referable to Myrtus. In general appear- 

 ance, however, it bears more resemblance to some of the South American 

 species of this genus than to any other Myrtaceous plant seen by the writer. 



2. Myrtus ehrenbergii Berg, Linnaea 27: 404. 1854. 



San Luis PotosI and perhaps elsewhere, the type collected somewhere in 

 southern Mexico by Ehrenberg. 



Branchlets puberulent ; leaves short-petiolate, lanceolate or lance-oblong, 

 1 to 2.5 cm. long, acute or obtuse at base, bright green ; pedicels 5 to 14 mm. 

 long, the bractlets minute ; petals rounded, ciliolate ; fruit 10 mm. long, con- 

 taining 1 or several seeds. "Array&n " {Ramirez). 



The aromatic and astringent leaves are said to be used as a tonic. 



3. Myrtus ledophylla Standi., sp. nov. 



Veracruz; type from San Martin, Zacuapan (Purpus 7804; U. S. Nat. Herb, 

 no. 877551). 



Branchlets minutely hirtellous ; petioles 1 to 2 mm. long ; leaves elliptic to 

 lanceolate, 1 to 4.5 cm. long, 0.5 to 1.4 cm. wide, acute or acuminate, rarely 

 obtuse, obtuse at base, subcoriaceous, sericeous-strigillose beneath or on both 

 surfaces or finally glabrate, paler beneath, the margins strongly revolute ; pedi- 

 cels solitary, 8 to 15 mm. long, the bractlets rounded-ovate; calyx 3 mm. 

 long, tomentulose, the lobes semiorbicular ; petals ciliolate ; fruit 6 mm. long 

 or larger, 1-seeded. 



