158 



Descriptive Flora 



SAPOTACEAE. Sapodilla Family. 



Bumelia lanuginosa (Michx.) Pers. Gum Elastic. Shittim Wood. 



Thorny shrub (sometimes a tree), with short stiff branches 

 ending in thorns that are almost hidden in the clustered leaves 

 and thick bunches of small greenish or white flowers at close 

 intervals on the woody stems. Leaves simple, often clustered on 

 short spurs. Blades wedge-shaped or broadest above the middle, 

 not toothed, glossy green above, paler and often rusty-woolly 

 beneath, 1 to 3" long. Flowers 5-lobed, small, fragrant, in com- 

 pact clusters 1 to iy 2 " across. Stamens 5. Fruit resembles a 

 small, black cherry. May. Riverbottoms and rocky hillsides. 



EBENACEAE. Ebony Family. 



Brayodendron texanum (Scheele) Small. Mexican persimmon. 



"Chapote." "Nespala". Tossum Plums. 

 Small trees or shrubs with smooth gray bark, small dark 

 green leaves and small, nodding, white, bell-shaped flowers 

 scattered along the branches. Leaf -blades wedge-shaped to oblong, 

 dark green, almost stalkless, y 2 to 2" long. Corolla urn-shaped, 

 resembling that of the cultivated lily of the valley, with 5 broad 

 recurving lobes, white turning brown with age. Flowers of 2 

 kinds, the pistillate being larger than the staminate and on 

 separate plants. Fruit a black, sweet, juicy, edible, globular 

 berry, the size of a marble, ripening from July to fall. Blossoms 

 in March and April. Widespread, growing in every type of 

 locality. Eaten by coons and opossums and relished equally well 

 by man. Mr. Gr. Schmeltzer of San Antonio reports that a tea 

 made of the inner (white) bark is used for chills and fever. One 

 tablespoonful of bark is steeped in about six cups of water. 



OLE ACE AE. Olive family. 



Menodora Jteterophylla Moric. Red-bud. Menodora. 



Low spreading leafy plants with red buds, yellow flowers 

 about %" across and cunning little, white balloon fruits. Leaves 



