PERESKIA. 



19 



In Panama the plant is known under the name naju de Culebra. 



Illustrations: All illustrations referred to this species which we have examined are 

 cited under P. grandifolia. 



Figure 12 is from a photograph taken by Henry Pittier, near Chepo, Panama, October 

 30, 1911. 



13. Pereskia bahiensis Giirke, Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 18:86. 1908. 



Shrub or tree, sometimes 8 meters high, with a more or less definite trunk, sometimes i meter or 

 more long and 1.5 to 2 dm. in diameter, and a large, rounded, much branched top; spines on new 

 growth wanting, but on old wood 5 to 40 at an areole, some of them 5 to 9 cm. long; young branches 

 green; leaves lanceolate, 6 to 9 cm. long, deciduous, somewhat 

 pointed, narrowed at base into short petioles; flowers in small 

 panicles, rose-colored; ovary bearing large leaves with cuneate 

 bases ; fruit often proliferous, yellowish when mature, more or less 

 irregularly angled, bearing large leaves 3 to 4 cm. long, which ulti- 

 mately fall away; seeds black, oblong, 5 mm. long. 



Type locality: In the southeast catinga between Rio 

 Paraguagu at Tambury and Rio das Contas at Caldeirao, 

 Bahia, Brazil. 



Distribution: Dry parts of eastern Brazil. 



This species is very common in the dry regions of Bahia; 

 and is often planted for hedges about small towns. The fruit 

 is proliferous ; as many as eight were found hanging from a 

 single peduncle; it is said 

 to be edible, but while 

 half-ripe is very astrin- 

 gent. The perfect fruits 

 can seldom be found, 

 because the birds peck 

 into them for the large 

 black seeds. 



Called in Brazil, 

 according to Dr. Leo 

 Zehntner, Iniabanto, 

 Espinha de Sao Antonio, 

 and Flor de Cera. He 

 also says: "I think 

 Iniabanto is the best and ought to be generahzed. It is derived from Iniabo = Okra = 

 Hibiscus esculentus, without doubt because the leaves of the pereskias are sometimes eaten 

 by people, giving a mucilaginous dish like that of the Hibiscus fruit." 



Illustration: Monatsschr. Kakteenk. 18: 87. 



Figure 13 is from a specimen, preserved in formalin, collected by J. N. Rose near 

 Machado Portello, Bahia, Brazil, in June 1915 ; figure 14 is from a plant from the same place; 

 figure 15 is from a photograph obtained by J. N. Rose at Barrinha, Bahia, in June 1915. 



14. Pereskia grandifolia Haworth, Suppl. PI. Succ. 85. 1819. 



Cactus rosa Vellozo, FI. Flum. 206. 1825. 



Pereskia ochnacarpa Miquel, Bull. Sci. Phys. Nat. Neerl. 48. 1838. 



Tree or shrub, 2 to 5 meters high, usually with a definite, very spiny, woody trunk up to i dm. 

 in diameter, the branches fleshy, glabrous, elongated, usually with i or 2 acicular spines at the 

 areoles; leaves oblong, obtuse or acute, somewhat narrowed at base, 8 to 15 cm. long; petioles short; 

 inflorescence terminal, usually few-flowered; 3.5 to 4 cm. broad; sepals green; petals rose-colored, 

 sometimes white; filaments red; style and stigma-lobes white ; ovary leaf-bearing; fruit described 

 as large, pear-shaped, many-seeded; seeds black. 



Figs. 13, 14. — Pereskia bahiensis. X0.5. 



