Plants Collected in Paraguay. 89 



which is easily peeled off. The heart-wood is dark ia color, some- 

 what bluish in tint, glossy when dry, the outer wood white, and all 

 the w^ood very hard and susceptible of a fine polish, 



Caesalpinia pulctierrima (L.), Sw., Obs., 166. 



Asuncion (150). November-February. 



A very handsome shrub, with large, showy racemes of red flowers 

 at the ends of the branches, much cultivated in gardens at Asuncion. 

 5 red sepals, somewhat obovate, alternate with the petals and about 

 one-third as long ; petals large, with broad, round, crimped sum- 

 mits, clawed, whitish on the edges, spread wide open in flower, 

 red and pale yellow, stamens and styles filiform, much exserted. 

 Flowers numerous and elegant in appearance. A thorny shrub 

 with handsome bipinnate leaves. Fruit a legume bearing several 

 large seeds. 



Parkinsonia aculeata, L., Sp. PL, 375. 



Asuncion (151); Pilcomayo River (1094). November-December. 



This thorny shrub, cultivated in Asuncion gardens, vies in beauty 

 with no. 150. I found it growing wild on the banks of the Pilco- 

 mayo, but at that time without flowers or fruit. Yery different, 

 however, from its rival. The leaves, instead of being bipinnate, 

 might almost be called pinnate phyllodia, as they consist of a very 

 narrow blade 6-20 cm. long, bearing on the sides short oblong 

 pinnae in pairs, 6-8 mm. apart. These leaves are very numerous, 

 drooping, and impart an elegant appearance to the plant. Flowers 

 in racemes at the ends of the branches, numerous, on pedicels about 

 2\ cm. long, light yellow. Sepals 5, reflexed in anthesis, one-third 

 as long as the petals ; petals 5, about equal, the standard of a 

 brownish tint, all hairy at the base within. Stamens and styles 

 filiform, exserted. Legume narrow, few seeded. Flowers not as 

 abundant or showy as in no. 150, but the peculiar leaves give it an 

 appearance almost as elegant. It is much used as a border along 

 the garden sides and streets in the suburban portions of Asuncion, 

 growing 3-8 m. in height. The numerous sharp spines with which 

 it is armed secure it very effectually from molestation. 



Cassia alisus^L., Sp. PL, 376. 



Asuncion (700). May. 



The Cassias are very numerous in Paraguay, the most of them 

 tall, shrubby plants with showy yellow flowers, and long, many- 

 seeded pods. 



