STANDLEY TEEES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 1081 



Shrub or small tree; leaflets long-petiolulate, ovate to narrowly lanceolate, 

 4 to 7 cm. long, long-acumiuate, crenate-serrate or subentire, thin ; umbels 

 few, long-pedunculate, racemose, the pedicels glabrous; fruit about 5 mm. in 

 diameter. 



3. Aralia humilis Cav. Icon. PI. 4: 7. pi. 313. 1797. 



lAralia hrevifolia Marchal, Bull. Acad. Brux. II. 47: 74. 1879. 



lAralia pinnata Sesse & Moc. PI. Nov. Hisp. 48. 1887. 



Chihuahua and Sonora to Morelos and Oaxaca, Southern Arizona. 



Shrub, 1 to 2.5 meters high, with brown branches; leaves (except the upper- 

 most) bipinnate, the leaflets oblong-ovate to bi-oadly ovate, 2 to 5 cm. long, 

 acuminate, rounded or shallowly cordate at base, serrate or crenate, coarsely 

 pubescent ; umbels numerous, paniculate ; fruit 4 to 5 mm. in diameter, 5-sulcate. 



4. Aralia pubescens DC. Cat. Hort. Monsp. 80. 1813. 

 Sonora to Oaxaca. 



Shrub or small tree, with thick corky bark ; leaflets 5 to 11, ovate to 

 broadly elliptic, 3 to 6 cm. long, acute or abruptly acuminate, rounded at 

 base, densely and coarsely pubescent ; umbels numerous, racemose-paniculate ; 

 petals 2 mm. long ; fruit about 5 mm. in diameter ; styles united to form a 

 slender beak. " Cuajilotillo " (Sinaloa). 



It is not certain that the plant described here is the one described by De 

 Candolle as Aralia pubescens, but it is a species quite distinct from A. 

 humilis. Aralia pubescens may be a synonym of A. humilis. 



5. Aralia racemosa L. Sp. PI. 273. 1753. 



Mountains of Chihuahua and Durango. Widely distributed in the United 

 States and Canada. 



Plants herbaceous or sometimes woody, 1 to 2 meters high ; leaflets broadly 

 ovate, 5 to 15 cm. long, abruptly acuminate, rounded or cordate at base, thin, 

 sharply serrate, the teeth cuspidate-apiculate ; umbels numerous, racemose- 

 paniculate ; fruit 5 to 6 mm. in diameter, dark purple. 



In the United States the plant is known as "American spikenard." The 

 roots are fragrant and have an aromatic sweetish flavor. They have been 

 much used medicinally, chiefly in domestic practice, for their gently stimulant, 

 diaphoretic, and alterative action, particularly in rheumatic, syphilitic, and 

 cutaneous affections. In their properties they resemble sarsaparilla. 



DOUBTFUL SPECIES 



Aralia chilapensis SessS & Moc. PI. Nov. Hisp. 48. 1887. Type from 

 Chilapa, Guerrero. The leaflets are said to be glabrous. 



2. OREOPANAX Decaisne & Planch. Rev. Hort. 1854: 107. 1854. 



Shrubs or trees, sometimes epiphytic ; leaves long-petiolate, entire, lobed, 

 or digitately compound ; flowers capitate, polygamo-dioecious, the heads race- 

 mose or paniculate ; calyx entire or nearly so ; petals 4 to 7, usually 5, valvate ; 

 fruit 2 to 7-celled. 

 Leaves simple, entire or with a few low teeth. 



Flower heads sessile 1. O. platyphyllum. 



Flower heads pedunculate. 



Staminate heads 5 to 7-flowered ; pistillate heads usually 2-flowered. 



2. 0. liebm.anni. 

 Staminate heads 20 to 50-flowered ; pistillate heads 5 to 12-flowered. 



Leaves glabrous 3. 0. capitatum. 



Leaves stellate-pubescent, densely so beneath 4. 0. flaccidxun. 



