1080 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



12. Fuchsia parviflora Zucc. Abh. Akad. Wiss. Miinchen 2: 337, 1831-36. 



Michoaalii to Mexico and Chiapas. Central America. 



Shrub, the branches puberulent ; leaves ovate-lanceolate to broadly elliptic, 

 1 to 5 cm. long, obtuse or acute; flowers polygamous or dioecious, 8 to 15 

 mm. long. " Sacatinta " (El Salvador). 



125. ARAIIACEAE. Ginseng Family. 



Shrubs or trees, rarely herbs, sometimes epiphytic, the pubescence, if any, 

 chiefly of branched hairs; leaves alternate, simple or compound, stipulate; 

 flowers perfect or unisexual, umbellate or capitate, small, greenish; calyx 

 tube adnate to the ovary, the limb short, truncate or dentate; petals usually 

 5; stamens as many as the petals; styles as many as the ovary cells; fruit 

 baccate, containing 2 to 7 1-seeded nutlets. 



One of the best-known plants of the family is ginseng, Panax quinguefolium 

 L., a native of the United States. The fleshy roots are exported to China, 

 where they are highly valued for their supposed medicinal virtues, and the 

 plant has been cultivated rather extensively in the United States to obtain 

 the roots for export. 



The English ivy ("hiedra extran jera " ) , Hedera helix L., a slender vine 

 with handsome, dark green, simple leaves, is sometimes cultivated in Mexico. 



Petals imbricate; leaves pinnate or bipinnate 1. ABALIA. 



Petals valvate; leaves simple or digitately compound. 

 Endosperm ruminate; flowers capitate; leaves simple or compound. 



2. OREOPANAX. 

 Endosi>erm not ruminate; flowers umbellate; leaves entire or lobate. 



3. GILIBERTIA. 



1. ABAIilA L. Sp. PI. 273. 1753. 



Shrubs, small trees, or herbs ; leaves pinnate or bipinnate, the leaflets 

 toothed; flowers in umbels, these racemose or paniculate, the bracts small; 

 calyx 5-dentate ; petals 5, imbricate, greenish ; stamens 5 ; fruit fleshy, com- 

 posed of usually 5 carpels. 



The Mexican species are unarmed, but some of those of other regions are 

 furnished with prickles. 



Leaflets glabrous beneath. 



Leaves once pinnate ; leaflets subcordate at base 1. A. scopulorum. 



Leaves mostly bipinnate; leaves obtuse or acute at base 2. A. regeliana. 



Leaflets pubescent beneath. 



Pedicels glabrous 3. A. humilis. 



Pedicels pubescent 



Leaves usually once pinnate ; leaflets serrulate, densely pubescent be- 

 neath 4. A. pubescens. 



Leaves bipinnate; leaflets sharply serrate, green and very sparsely pubes- 

 cent beneath 5. A. racemosa. 



1. Aralia scopulorum T. S. Brandeg. Proc. Calif. Acad. II. 2: 165. pi. 8. 1889. 

 Mountains of Baja California ; type from Comondfi Canyon. 



Shrub, 1 to 4.5 meters high ; leaflets 5 or 7, broadly ovate or elliptic, 3 to 6 

 cm. long, acuminate, usually subcordate at base, coarsely crenate; umbels few, 

 racemose, the pedicels puberulent; petals 3 mm. long; stylopodium conic. 



2. Aralia regeliana Marchal. Bull. Acad. Biiix. II. 47: 73. 1879. 

 Tnmaulipas and San Luis Potosi; type from Victoria, Tamaulipas. 



