338 APOCYNACEAE. 



eomose. [Greek, tailed-E cTiites.] A few species, of tropical America. Type 

 species: Urechites Karicinskii Muell. Arg. 



1. Urechites lutea (L.) Britton, Bull. X. Y. Bot. Gard. 5: 316. 1907. 



Vinca lutea L. Cent. PL 2: 12. 1756. 

 Echites suberecta Jaeq. Enum. 13. 1760. 

 Echites Cateshaei G. Don, Gen. Syst. 4: 74. 1838. 

 Echites Andrewsii Chapm. Fl. So. U. S. 359. 1860. 

 Urechites Andrewsii Small, Fl. SE. U. S. 936. 1903. 

 Echites neriandra Griseb. Fl. Br. W. I. 415. 1861. 



Pubescent or glabrous, slender, often 3 m. long or more. Leaves oblong 

 to obovate or suborbicular, herbaceous, 2-8 em. long dark green above, pale 

 green beneath, mostly obtuse at the apex and narrowed at the base, the slender 

 petioles about 1 cm. long; cymes few-several-flowered; pedicels slender; calyx- 

 lobes narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 8-12 mm, long; corolla yellow, 3-4 cm. 

 long; anthers mostly tipped by filiform appendages; follicles linear, 10-15 cm. 

 long, 4-5 mm. thick. 



Scrub-lands and coppices, throughout the archipelago from Abaco and Great 

 Bahama to Andros, Grand Turk and Inagua : — Florida ; Cuba to Tortola and St. 

 Kitts ; Jamaica. Species composed of several races, the foliage and inflorescence 

 either glabrous or pubescent, the flowers differing much in size and the pods much 

 in length. Wild Unction, Catesby's Vine. Catesby 2 : pi. 53. 



7. CERBERA L, Sp. PI. 208. 1753. 



Glabrous trees or shrubs, with alternate, 1-nerved and pinnately veined 

 leaves, and large yellow flowers in terminal, peduncled cymes. Calyx 5-parted, 

 many-glandular within at the base. Corolla funnelform, the tube cylindric 

 below, bearing pilose scales at the top within, abruptly expanded into a cam- 

 panulate throat, the 5 broad rounded lobes sinistrorse. Stamens borne with 

 the scales at the top of the tube; anther-sacs unappendaged. Disk wanting. 

 Ovary 2-lobed, 2-celled; style filiform; stigma discoid, its small tip 2-lobed; 

 ovules 2 in each cavity of the ovary. Fruit a compressed drupe, broader than 

 high, the flesh thin, the bony endocarp 2-celled. Seeds with a thick testa and 

 no endosperm. [Xamed for Cerberus, the three-headed dog of mythology.] 

 About 7 species, natives of tropical America. Type species: Cerhera Ahouai L. 



1. Cerbera Thevetia L. Sp. PI. 209. 1753. 



Thevetia nereifolia Juss. ; Steud. Nom. ed. 2, 2: 680. 1841. 

 Thevetia Thevetia Millsp. Field Mus. Bot. 2: 83. 1900. 



A shrub or small tree up to about 10 m. high, glabrous throughout, the 

 twigs rather stout, densely leafy. Leaves linear, 7-15 cm. long, 5-10 mm. 

 wide, narrowed at both ends, very nearly sessile, bright green and shining 

 above, rather dull beneath, the midvein prominent, the lateral venation obscure ; 

 calyx-segments about 7 mm. long, ovate-lanceolate, acuminate ; corolla yellow, 

 about 7 cm. long, funnelform with the tube shorter than the limb ; drupe 

 triangular-compressed, 3-4 cm. broad, about 2 cm. high, and 1-1.5 cm. thick, 

 nearly truncate^ the flesh thin. 



Thickets, spontaneous after cultivation. New Providence near Nassau : — Florida ; 

 Cuba to Porto Rico and Grenada ; .Jamaica ; continental tropical America, Lucky- 

 nut. Cathartic-bark. 'French Trumpet-flower. Luck-seed. 



