STANDLEY TEEES AND SHRUBS OF MEXICO. 1163 



follicles very slender, 6 to 8 cm. long ; seeds with deciduous hairs at each 

 end. " Hlerba de la cucaracha " (Oaxaca, Morelos) ; " raiz de la cucaracha " 

 (Oaxaca) ; "atenipatli" ("flea-medicine") or " actimpatli " (Nahuatl). 



The plant is well known in Mexico as an insecticide. A decoction of the 

 plant is mixed with cornmeal and used as a poison for cockroaches. The de- 

 coction is also applied as a lotion to the human body to kill all sorts of para- 

 sites and a lard ointment is employed for the same purpose. Flores states 

 that a sweetened infusion of the plant will attract and kill mosquitoes. 



19. ECHITES Jacq. Enum. PI. Carib. 13. 1760. 



Scandent shrubs ; leaves opposite ; flowers small or large, in axillary ra- 

 cemes ; calyx 5-parted, glandular within ; corolla salverform, the tube cylindric ; 

 anthers sagittate, appendaged at base ; follicles slender, terete, often torulose ; 

 seeds with an apical tuft of silky hairs. 



The following names are reported for plants which are said to belong to 

 the genus: " Tijerilla " (Guanajuato) ; " raiz de cuculillo," " ralz de la cuca- 

 racha" (Oaxaca). 



Leaves glabrous beneath. 

 Corolla tube 6 to 12 mm. long. 



Calyx lobes linear-lanceolate, one-third as long as the corolla tube or 

 longer. 



Corolla tube about 6 mm. long 1. E. torosa. 



Corolla tube 10 to 12 mm. long 2. E. smithii. 



Calyx lobes triangular, less than one-fifth as long as the corolla tube. 



3. E. tuxtlensis. 

 Corolla tube 25 to 50 mm. long. 



Calyx lobes obtuse 4. E, trifida. 



Calyx l®bes acute or acuminate. 



Corolla tube about 5 cm. long 5. E. umbellata. 



Corolla tube 2.5 to 3.5 cm. long. 



Leaves thin, deeply emarginate at base 11. E. microcalyx. 



Leaves coriaceous, rounded or subcordate at base 6. E. rosea. 



Leaves variously pubescent beneath. 



Corolla lobes short, suberect, not spreading 7. E. tubiflora. 



Corolla lobes elongate, spreading. - 



Calyx lobes obtuse 8. E. lanata. 



Calyx lobes acuminate. 



Calyx lobes one-third as long as the corolla tube or longer. 



Leaves mostly obtuse, acute or obtuse at base 9. E. coulteri. 



Leaves acute or acuminate, usually subcordate at base. 



10, E, apocynifolia. 

 Calyx lobes less than one-fourth as long as the corolla tube. 



Flowers 2.5 to 3.5 cm. long 11, E. microcalyx. 



Flowers about 1.5 cm. long 12. E. mexicana. 



1. Echites torosa Jacq. Enum. PI. Carib. 13. 1760. 



Yucatan and Campeche. AVest Indies ; type from Jamaica. 



Scandent shrub, glabrous throughout ; leaves short-petiolate, lance-oblong, 

 3.5 to 4.5 cm, long, acute, obtuse or rounded at base, coriaceous ; corolla yellow ; 

 follicles very slender, about 14 cm. long, torulose. 



The .iuice is said to be poisonous and to have emetic-cathartic properties. 



