THE OCCURRENCE OF ANTIARIS IN THE PHILIPPINES. 
By Elmer D. Merrill. 
( From the botanical section of the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science.) 
ANTIARIS Lesch. 
Antiaris toxicaria (Pers.) Leschen. in Ann. Mus. Paris, 16 (1810) 478. t. 22; 
Blume, Rumphia, 1 (1835) 56. t. 22, 23; Benn. PI. Jav. Rar. (1838-1852) 
52. t. 13; Miq. FI. Ind. Rat. 1 2 (1859) 291; Hook. f. FI. Brit. Ind. 5 (1888) 
537; F. Vill. Nov. App. (1883) 202. 
Mindoro, Bulalacao (1551 Bermejos) August 27, 1906. V., Salogon; T., 
Dalit. 
This interesting species was first called to our attention by the Honorable 
Dean C. Worcester, Secretary of the Interior of the Government of the Philip- 
pine Islands, who brought from Bulalacao early in the year 1906, a small 
quantity of a substance used by the natives in that vicinity for poisoning arrows, 
but without botanical material by which the species yielding the product could 
be identified. As Dr. R. F. Bacon of the Bureau of Science had undertaken the 
chemical examination of the different arrow poisons used by the natives of the 
Philippines, a native collector was sent to Bulalacao with instructions to secure 
a quantity of the poison as well as botanical specimens from the tree yielding 
the product. Although the material secured was without fruit or flowers, a 
careful examination of it leads me to conclude that it is identical with Antiaris 
toxicaria, while Dr. Bacon informs me that a chemical examination of the 
poison shows it to be identical with that yielded by this species. 
Miquel 1 credits the species to the Philippines, citing Gamell for authority 
for its occurrence here. That the species was known from the Philippines over 
two hundred years ago, and that from Camell’s time up to the year 1906 this 
much discussed and well known plant had not been rediscovered in the Archipel- 
ago, is at least interesting. 
F.-Villar includes the species in his Novissime Appendix, citing Miquel and 
Gamell for authority for its occurrence in the Philippines, but stating that he 
had not seen specimens. 
Gamell 2 states the following regarding this plant, under his “De quibusdam 
Arboribus Venenatis 
“1. Ipo, seu Hypo arbor est mediocris, folio parvo, & obscurh virenti, quae 
tarn malignae, & nocivae est qualitatis, ut omne vivens umbra sua interimat, 
unde narrant _ in circuitu, & umbrae distinctu plurima ossium, mortuorum 
hominum, anamaliumve videri. Cireumvicinas etiam plantas enecat, & aves 
insidentes interficere ferunt, si Wucus Vomicae Igasur, plantam non invenerint, 
qua reperta vita quidem donantur, & servantur, sed defluvium patiuntur plu- 
marum. Antonins Molero mihi retulit, post iter per Sylvosam viam, passum 
FI. Ind. Bat. 1 2 (1859) 292. 
J. Ray: Hist. Plant. 3 (1704) App. 87. 
Ill 
