Plants Collected in Paraguay. 83 



at the top of the stem, and so great is the weight of the flowers and 

 fruit at maturity that they ahnost bend the stalk to the ground. 

 Stem much branched at the top, covered with a thick down, striate, 

 stiff and hard. Flowers small, bluish-purple. 



Meillioiiiia siipina (Sw.), Britton. 

 Hedtjsarum supinum, Sw., Fl. Ind. Occ, iii, 1264. 

 Hednsarum incanum, Sw., 1. c, 1265, not Thunl). 

 Desmodium incanum, D.C., Prod., ii, 332. 



Asuncion (105). November. 



Cruininium Virgin ianum (L.), Britton, Bull. Terr. Bot. CI., xviii, 

 269. 



Asuncion (111 a). November. 



Erythrina Crista-OalH, L., Mant., 99. 



Luque (291). December-June. 



Known in Paraguay as Ceibo. A shrub or small tree from 3 to 8 m. 

 in height, common in wet grounds and along watercourses, much 

 resembling our Tupelo in general appearance. Trunk, limbs, and 

 petioles armed with small but strong hooked spines. The showy 

 flowers are in terminal racemes, conspicuous not only for their bright 

 red color but also for their curious elongated boat-shape, each of 

 them mounted on a reddish-purple pedicel. The standard is nearly 

 6 cm. in length, emarginate, oval, with an open fold or curled pro- 

 jecting part on each side at the base, the edges slightly cohering 

 over the other parts of the flower when young, but slightly spread- 

 ing with age ; keel undivided, closing over the stamens and style ; 

 laterals hidden under the large standard, each with 2 teeth, 1 tooth 

 much larger than the other. Fruit a cylindrical, smooth pod, often 

 20 or 25 cm. in length, containing from 15 to 20 smooth, polished, 

 bluish, slightly curved seeds. This tree is sometimes cultivated in 

 gardens at Asuncion, but does not do so well as in the wild state. 

 The bark of the trunk is thick and corky below% and sometimes 

 employed as cork. I was informed by natives that a decoction of 

 it was regarded as a good remedy for throat affections. 



Oalactia tenuiflora (Willd.), W. and A., Prod., i, 206. 



Lympio (730). May. 



The specimens collected show a slender twining vine which climbs 

 over shrubs for 3 m. or more. Stems glabrous or pubescent. Leaf- 



