1150 CONTRIBUTIONS FEOM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 



El Salvador); " flor del toro " (Nicaragua); " caracacha colorada," " cara- 

 cucho," "palo de cruz " (Panama) ; " Alexandria " (Morelos, Central America) ; 

 "flor de sefiora " (El Salvador); " aleli " (Porto Rico); " lirio Colorado" 

 (Cuba) ; "flor de ensarta " (El Salvador). 



The flowers are handsome and sweet-scented. They are often strung with 

 those of other colors to hang as festoons in churches. 



A related species, P. tricolor Ruiz & Pav., in which the corolla is pink and 

 yellow within, red and white outside, is said to be cultivated in Mexico, 

 and to be known as " flor de mayo " and " ensalada." The corollas are said 

 to be used for making sweetmeats and as a remedy for coughs. 



5. Plumeria acutifolia Poir. Encycl. Suppl. 2: 667, ISll. 



Phimeria viexicana Lodd. Bot. Cab. pi. 102It. 1825. 



Plumeria lamherLiana Lindl. Bot. Reg. pi. 1378. 1830. 



Plumeria gouani D. Don; G. Don, Hist. Dichl. PI. 4: 94. 1838. 



Baja California and Sonora to Chihuahua, Veracruz, and Oaxaca. Widely 

 dispersed in tropical America, and also naturalized in the Old World tropics. 



Shrub or tree, 3 to 9 meters high, the branchlets usually pubescent ; -leaves 

 oblong to elliptic, 15 to 30 cm. long or more, acute to long-acuminate, with 

 numerous parallel lateral nerves ; corolla*6 to 7 cm. long, the tube about equal- 

 ing or much shorter than the lobes ; follicles 10 to 25 cm. long, sometimes as 

 much as 4 cm. wide. " Cacaloxochitl " (Baja California, Veracruz, Mexico, 

 etc., Nahuatl) ; " cacalosfichil " (Oaxaca, etc.); " sGchil " (Oaxaca); "jaca- 

 losuchil bianco" (Jalisco) ; "flor del cuervo," " campotonera," " campechana," 

 "Alejandrfa" (various localities); " tizaxochitl " ; " quie-chachi " (Oaxaca, 

 Zapotec, Reko) ; "suchlcahue" (Oaxaca, Reko); " ahaipuih " (Mixe, Belmar) ; 

 " cacalojoche," " juche" (Costa Rica) ; " sacuanjoche " (Nicaragua) ; "flor de 

 la cruz," "flor de ensarta," "flor de mayo" (El Salvador); " calcachuchi " 

 (Philippines). ^ 



The beautiful sweet-scented flowers were a favorite among the ancient 

 Mexicans, and especially popular with the nobility. They are still greatly 

 admired by the Mexican people, who often plant the tree in their gardens and 

 use the flowers for decorations, especially in churches. The Indians often 

 wear them in their hair. The name " frangipanni " is applied to this and 

 related species, likewise " temple flower " and "graveyard-flower." The juice 

 is sometimes employed in treating wounds and venereal diseases, and it is 

 said to produce a good quality of rubber. 



2. VALLESIA Ruiz & Pav. Fl. Peruv. Chil. 2: 26. 1799. 



Shrubs or small trees ; leaves short-petiolate, persistent, alternate ; flowers in 

 pedunculate cymes opposite the leaves ; calyx eglandular, with 5 short lobes ; 

 corolla salverform, the tube enlarged below the lobes ; anthers cordate, not ap- 

 pendaged ; fruit a 1 or 2-seeded drupe ; seeds naked. 



The following species are the only ones known. The genus was named in 

 honor of Francisco Valles, physician to Phillip II of Spain. 



Leaves mostly obtuse, densely pubescent 1. V. laciniata. 



Leaves acute or acuminate, glabrous. 



Corolla 15 to 18 mm. long 2. V. mexicana. 



Corolla about 5 mm. long 3. V. glabra. 



1. Vallesia laciniata T. S. Brandeg. Proc. Calif. Acad. 11. 2: 182. 1889. 



Baja California ; type material collected at San SebastiS-n and Comondti. 



Shrub, 1 meter high or less, the branchlets densely pubescent ; leaves oblong 

 or lanceolate, 2.5 to 7 cm. long ; cymes dense, many-flowered ; corolla 10 to 12 

 mm. long; fruit white. 



