SAPOTACEAE 911 



B. Leaf-blades manifestly or copiously pubescent beneath. 

 Pubescence woolly, not at all lustrous. 



Leaf-blades cuneate, mostly 1-3 cm. long. 11. B. rigida. 



Leaf-blades not cuneate, mostly 4-10 cm. long. 12. B. lanuginosa. 



Pubescence lustrous, white, becoming tawny, brown or coppery. 13. B. terwx. 



1. Bumelia angustifolia Nutt. A glabrous depressed shrub, or a small tree reach- 

 ing a height of 8 m. Stems sometimes 15 cm. in diameter : leaves persistent ; blades 

 leathery, varying from narrowly oblanceolate-spatulate to obovate, cuneately narrowed at 

 the base, 2-4 cm. long, entire, usually rounded at the apex, somewhat shining above, paler 

 and dull beneath, short-petioled : fascicles few-flowered or many-flowered, sometimes 

 dense : pedicels 3-6 mm. long, slightly thickened upward : sepals ovate, 2 mm. long, 

 obtuse, the inner much broader than the outer : corolla-lobes suborbicular, erose-denticu- 

 late ; appendages narrowly-lanceolate, acuminate : staminodia ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 

 2 mm. long, obtuse or acute, erose-dentate : berries oblong, 1.5-2 cm. long, fleshy, edible. 



Florida, on the peninsula and the Keys. Also in the lower Rio Grande valley, Texas and Mexico. 

 Flowers in November and October; matures its fruit in the spring. SAFFRON PLUM. ANTS- WOOD. 

 DOWNWARD PLUM. 



2. Bumelia rufotomentosa Small. A thorny shrub, with densely and deep red 

 tomentose twigs and petioles. Stems stout, rigid, spreading or ascending, several dm. long, 

 slightly zigzag : leaves firm ; blades obovate or oval, 1.5-2 cm. long, obtuse or slightly re- 

 tuse at the apex, more or less undulate, prominently reticulated, especially beneath, shining 

 and becoming glabrous above, paler, dull and usually sparingly pubescent beneath with 

 red hairs, on short slender petioles : fascicles many-flowered : pedicels slender, 2-3 mm. 

 long, gradually enlarged upward, like the calyx, pubescent with straggling hairs : sepals 

 suborbicular, nearly 1.5 mm. broad, the inner slightly larger than the outer: corolla- 

 lobes suborbicular, often slightly broader than long, about 1.5 mm. in diameter; ap- 

 pendages ovate or ovate-lanceolate, acutish : staminodia ovate-lanceolate, a little over 1 

 mm. long, obtuse : berries subglobose, about 5 mm. in diameter. 



In pine woods, peninsular Florida. 



3. Bumelia microcarpa Small. "A low shrub, with zigzag branches and spreading 

 thorn-armed twigs. Leaves firm ; blades spatulate, oblanceolate or rarely oblong- 

 obovate, rounded or acutish at the apex, lustrous and finely reticulated above, cobwebby- 

 pubescent beneath or glabrate in age, attenuate into slender petioles 2-6 mm. in length : 

 fascicles dense, on short scaly spurs : pedicels 1-4 mm. long, rather thinly tomentose : 

 sepals suborbicular, concave, 1-1.5 mm. broad, tomentose or glabrous in age : corolla- 

 lobes white, depressed-orbicular, about 1.5 mm. broad, rounded at the apex ; appendages 

 broadly lanceolate, 0.7 mm. long : staminodia lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, about 1 mm. 

 long, barely acute : berries subglobose, 5 mm. in diameter. 



In sandy soil, peninsular Florida. 



4. Bumelia reclinata Vent. A low decumbent or ascending armed glabrous shrub, 

 1-2 m. tall, the spine-like branches often leafy and bearing flowers. Stems commonly 

 zigzag or somewhat twisted : leaves numerous ; blades thinnish, oblanceolate ovate, obo- 

 vate or spatulate, 2-5 cm. long, rounded or retuse at the apex, deep green and shining 

 above, paler and dull beneath, somewhat prominently reticulate, narrowed into petioles 

 varying from 2 to 4 mm. in length : fascicles few-flowered : pedicels glabrous, 3-5 mm. 

 long, enlarged upward : sepals broadly ovate or orbicular-ovate, 1.8 mm. long : berries 

 oval, 6-7 mm. long. 



In sandy soil, Georgia to Florida and Louisiana. 



5. Bumelia megacdcca Small. An evergreen glabrous thorny shrub, with spreading 

 or procumbent branches. Bark pale, raised in angular corky ridges which are broken by 

 numerous lenticels : leaves few ; blades leathery, obovate or oblong-oblanceolate, 1-3.5 cm. 

 long, obtuse or retuse at the apex, deep green and somewhat shining above, paler and 

 prominently reticulated beneath, slightly revolute, short-petioled : pedicels stout, 1-3 mm. 

 long : berries globose or oblong-globose, 11-13 mm. in diameter, black : seeds 9-10 mm. in 

 diameter, pale, smooth and shining, variegated. 



In sandy soil, peninsular Florida. 



6. Bumelia cassinifolia Small. A glabrous or glabrate commonly armed shrub, or 

 small tree, 5-10 m. tall, the twigs and the lower surface of the leaves puberulent. Stems 

 rarely more than 16 cm. thick, clothed with a reddish brown bark : leaves numerous ; blades 

 thinnish, oblong-obovate, or oblanceolate, 2-10 cm. long, rounded or retuse at the apex, 

 undulate, narrowly revolute, dark green above, somewhat paler beneath, the main nerves 

 slightly prominent beneath ; petioles slender, varying from 8-12 mm. in length : fascicles 

 many-flowered : pedicels glabrous, 2-5 mm. long, slightly enlarged upward : sepals sub- 

 orbicular, 2 mm. long, the inner with a broad scarious margin : corolla-lobes suborbicular, 



