DESCRIPTIVE CATALOGUE. 293 



A tree with peltate, ovate, acuminate leaves, bearing fruit inclosed in an inflated, 

 globular involucel, having a circular orifice, which gives to it its Samoan name, 

 signifying "iris" (of the eye). Leaves on long petioles marked with a red or a 

 white area at the point of attachment of the petiole, which is near the base, 5 to 

 9-nerved and remotely feather-veined, the larger ones nearly 30 cm. long, the upper 

 ones much smaller; flowers unisexual, in panicles shorter than the leaves, almost 

 clustered on the branches, one terminal female between two males within a whorl of 



4 bracts, and sometimes one or two males lower down with a small bract under each 

 pedicel; perianth-segments in two rows, slightly pubescent, in the male flowers 3 in 

 each row, almost petal-like, veined, about two lines long; stamens 3, shorter than 

 the segments, with short filaments; female flowers with a cup-shaped, entire, trun- 

 cate involucel a little below the ovary, 3 mm. long at the time of flowering, but soon 

 enlarged and growing over the ovary or perianth tube; perianth tube of female 

 flowers from the first completely adnate to the fleshy ovary, the segments 4 in each 

 row, the outer ones ovate, the inner ones narrow; glands or staminodia 4, large and 

 nearly globular, opposite the outer perianth segments; style short, thick, with a 

 dilated irregularly lobed stigma, the whole style deciduous with the perianth lobes; 

 fruit completely inclosed in the involucel, which has become inflated, globular, 

 smooth, and fleshy, above 3.5 cm. in diameter- with a circular entire orifice of about 

 12 mm. in diameter; fruit about 2.5 cm. in diameter marked with eight broad raised 

 longitudinal ribs, with a raised terminal umbo; seed very hard, about 19 mm. in 

 diameter; embryo divided into 4 or 5 thick fleshy lobes. 



The wood is very light and soft and takes fire readily from a flint and steel. It 

 has been used in Guam for making canoes, but they soon become water-logged and 

 useless if unpainted and left exposed to the weather. The bark, seed, and young 

 leaves are slightly purgative, and the juice of the leaves is a depilatory, destroying 

 hair without pain.« Distributed in tropical Asia, Africa, and Australia, and east- 

 ward in the Pacific as far as Tahiti. 

 References: 

 Hernandia peltata Meism. in DC. Prod. 15 1 : 263. 1864. 

 Hernandia sonora Endlicher, not L. Same as H. peltata. 

 Herpestis monniera. Same as Bacopa monniera. 



Herpetica alata. Ringworm bush. 



Family Caesalpiniaceae. 



Local names. — Acapulco (Guam); Capiilao, Gamot sa buni (Philippines); Lau- 

 refio (Panama); Guacamaya francesa (Cuba); Talantala (Porto Rico); Taratana 

 (Mexico). 



A shrub 2 to 3 meters high with terminal racemes of showy yellow fioweVs. 

 Branches thick, finely downy; leaves devoid of glands, subsessile, abruptly pinnate, 

 30 to 60 cm. long; stipules deltoid, persistent; leaflets 6 to 14 pairs, oblong, obtuse, 



5 to 15 cm. long, minutely mucronate, rigidly subcoriaceous, glabrous or obscurely 

 downy beneath, broadly rounded, oblique at the base; rachis narrowly winged on 

 each side of the face; racemes peduncled, 15 to 30 cm. long; bracts large, membra- 

 nous, caducous; corolla yellow, distinctly veined; stamens very unequal; pod mem- 

 branous, with a broad wing down the middle of each valve; straight, glabrous, 10 to 

 20 cm. long by 12 to 14 mm. broad; seeds 50 or more. 



This shrub was introduced into Guam from Acapulco, whence it takes its local 

 name. Its leaves are used by the natives as a remedy for skin diseases, and espe- 

 cially for ringworm. 

 References: 

 Herpetica alata (L.) Raf. Sylva Tellur. 123. 1838. 

 Cassia, alata L. Sp. PI. 1: 378. 1753. 



«Watt, Economic Products of India, vol. 4, p. 225, 1890. 



