101 



conspieaous in transverse section, frcra 1 to 3 rows, usually /-'i. 

 2 cells wide, and from 20 to 40 times as high. 



Distributi o n, common names and uses 



The Incense-Jree, or carauo , as it is called oy the na- 

 tives, grov/s as isolated individuals all over the territory 

 of Panama. It loses its leaves during the dry season and is 

 then very conspicuous in the maze of the forest vegetation 

 on account of its clean grayish skeleton. In .-'ebruai-y, be- 

 fore the renewing of the foliage, it covers itself with in- 

 numerable vvhite flcv/erfi, j?nd its crown appear here and 

 there as light colored spots Ic st in a sea of green. 



The wood, white or light brown, splits easily and is 

 said to burn readily, even when freshly cut. It is, however, 

 of little use, and the tree is better Icnown among the inha- 

 bitants of the country on account of the abundant, cleat 

 resin or gura (caraua^ -.vhich exudes from incisions made in 

 the trunk and to v/hich great aedicinal virtues are attri- 

 buted. 



lythraceae 

 The many-flowered j>denaria 



^.denaria floribunda H.B.II,, i:ov. Gen. & 3p, 0:165, 1323. 



De3crij,-,tion o f the sh rub 



A shrub, or sometimes a small tree, not over 6 m, high, 

 the branching diffuse and spreading, the bark reddish, the 

 young braiichlets hairy, 4-angled, the leaves and inflores- 

 cences densely covered with innumerable black glands,/ leaves 

 coriaceous, the petioles 2 to 4 r^ra, long, the blades elliu- 

 tic-lanueola te, long acuminate, 6 to 10 cm. long, 2 to 3 cm. 

 broad, light green above paler with the venation prominent 

 and pubescent beneath. ?lov/ers 5 to 13-clusterod in the 



