230 Plants Collected in Paraguay. 



Coilotapalus peltata (L.), Brittou. 

 Cecropia peltata, L., Amoen. Acad., v, 410. 



Near Luque (717). May-June. 



Cue of the most striking and beautiful trees in the forests of 

 Paragua}^ the nmbrella-like head and the large peltate silver3Mobed 

 leaves showing finely against the green foliage of its companions. 

 It has a naked columnar stem, rising to a height of 10-15 m. Leaves 

 orbicular in outline, 20 cm. or more in breadth, deeply 9-11 lobed, 

 the lobes green and somewhat rough above, and with a silvery- 

 white tomentum beneath, on petioles 15-20 cm. long. Flowers 

 dioecious, in cylindrical spikes, sunk in the surface of the rachis; the 

 pistillate spikes generally 4 on the same peduncle, and about 10 cm. 

 long and l-l^cm. thick; the stamiuate smaller, 10 or more together, 

 5 cm. long and 3 or 4 mm. thick. The large spatbe-like stipules which 

 enclose the buds, also white tomentose, are very conspicuous. 



Ants are very fond of the fresh flowers of this tree, and I nearly 

 always found them running over it in great numbers. 



Urtica spatlllllata, Sm. in Rees Cyc, no. 17. 



Buenos Aires (11). October. 



I did not see this nettle in Paraguay, but it is very abundant 

 about Montevideo and Buenos Aires, and doubtless occurs farther 

 north also. It is a small prostrate or ascending plant, with numer- 

 ous small orbicular incisely dentate leaves. The prickles are ver}'" 

 numerous and exceedingly irritating, leaving a stinging sensation 

 which lasts for hours. 



Urera Ijaccifera (L.), Graudich. Bot. Voy. d'Uranie, 497. 



Near Pirayu (663). April. 



A tall, succulent-stemmed shrub, 3-5 m, in height, with a copious 

 watery milky juice. Leaves very large, round-ovate, slightly cor- 

 date at base, abruptly acute at the apex, sinuate-dentate, rugose 

 above, very rugose and veiny below, armed with stinging hairs, 

 30-40 cm. long and 15-20 cm. broad, on armed petioles 10-15 cm. 

 long. Flowers dioecious in axillar}^, widely branching panicles. 

 Fruit a small, round, water}^, white, berry-like utricle, containing 

 a single flat seed. The stem is armed near the base with short, 

 broad thorns, and naked to the inflorescence which bears many 

 small stinging prickles. 



