MEXICAN JUMPING BEANS. 



There is, therefore, good evidence that the insect caus 

 ing the motions of the bean developes in the cap: 

 of at least two different species of the genus sebast 

 if not in those of other clcsely allied genera. The 

 differ not only in the general appearance and fol 

 but in the inflorescence and seed, and the foil 



553 



some 40 species, confined mostly 

 to South America ; mostly shrubs, 

 rarely herbs ; leaves alternate, en- 

 re o r slightly toothed ; flowers 

 onoecious, the male flowers form- 

 g slender terminal spikes, at the 

 ase of which are usually two or 

 three female flowers ; female flow- 

 ers with small bract-like calyx, 

 three to five parted ; fruit capsule, 

 lobular or three-lobed ; the capsule 

 eparates in age into three cocci, 

 ach of which contains one seed. 



Sehastiania bilocularis , Watson 

 Proc. Amer. Acad. XX, 374, 1885). 



shrub one to two feet high with 

 pright, slender branches, glabrous 



The Plant of the 



, Twig of Sehastiania Palmeri. b, Seed, enlarged, c. Seed, natural size 

 bract of .S. Pringlei, enlarged, g. Leaf and staniinate bract, natural size. 



Mexican Jumping Bean." 



d, Ovary with style. 



e, Involucre. /, Staniinate 



synopsis, prepared by Mr. Rose, will serve to distinguish 

 those here considered : 



Sebastiania. a large genus of euphorbiaceae. of 



and with light gray bark; leaves linear-oblong or nar- 

 rowly lanceolate, one to two inches long, obtuse to acum- 

 inate, abruptly cuneate at base, obscurely glandular- 



