173 



the bano of Mariara the volador or gyrocarpus^ 

 The winged fruits of this large tree tarn like a 

 fly-wheel, when they fall from their stalk. On 

 shaking the branches of the volador, we saw the 

 air filled with it's fruits, the simultaneous fall 

 of which presents the most singular spectacle. 

 The two membranaceous and striated wings are 

 turned so as to meet the air, in falling, at an 

 angle of 45°. Fortunately the fruits we gathered 

 were at their maturity. We sent some to 

 Europe, and they have germinated in the gar- 

 dens of Berlin, Paris, and Malmaison. The 

 numerous plants of the volador, now found in 

 hot-houses, owe their origin to the only tree of 

 the kind found near Mariara. The geographical 

 distribution of the different species of gyrocarpus., 

 which Mr. Brown considers as a laurinea, is 

 very singular. Jacquin saw one species near 

 Carthagena in America *. This is the same 

 which we met with again in Mexico, near 

 Zumpango, on the road from Acapulco to the 

 capital~f~. Another species, that grows on the 



* J acq., Hist. Amer., t. 178, f. 80. This is the gyrocarpus 

 Jacquini of Gaertner (De Fruct,, t. 97, vol. ii, p. 92), or 

 gyrocarpus americanus, Wiild. 



t The natives of Mexico called it quitlacoctli. I saw some 

 of it's young leaves, with three and live lobes ; the full grown 

 leaves are in the form of a heart, and constantly with three 

 lobes. We never met with the volador in flower Messrs. 

 Sesse and Mocino have drawings of it. 



