C. H. TYLER TOWNSEND — BIOGEOGRAPHY OE MEXICO, ETC. 43 
of diptera haying been taken on its flowers — in fact the greater part of 
all the diptera collected at San Rafael. These came almost entirely from 
two approximated patches of this plant. Its flowers are small and in- 
conspicuous, but they were about the only flowers in the vicinity through 
June and July. This plant seemed to he rather of occasional occurrence 
in the lowlands, hut was noticed particularly above Tlapacoyan on the 
road to Perote, as far up as about half way between Tlapacoyan and 
Jalacingo, about 4000 feet elevation or over, being in height of bloom 
July 20 and 21. (31) 
16. Ipomoea batatas (Linn.) Lam. — March 13. Det. Wooton. (10) 
17. Ipomoea sp. — March 16. Det. Rose. (14) 
18. Lippia reptans H. B. K. — June 18. Det. Wooton. (29) 
19. Lantana sp., probably camara Linn. — June and July. Det. 
Towns. (32) 
20. Teucrium sp. — April. Det. Rose. (27) 
21. Piper sp. — Pood-plant of Papilio sp. Det. Rose. (35) 
22. Manihot sp. — March to July. Called “mala muger.” Det. Rose. 
This is a giant nettle, whose leaves and stems are covered with fine and 
delicate hut most irritating spines, which are exceedingly painful if bare- 
ly touched to the skin. It grows in luxuriance in the neighborhood of 
San Rafael, often attaining the proportions of a tree, with a straight and 
tall woody trunk. It grows likewise in the environs of Orizaba, Jalapa, 
Cordova, and in the moist mountain region of southern Tamaulipas. 
The flowers are pure white, borne in an upright cluster. (33) 
23. Ganna sp. probably indica Linn. — March and April. Det. 
Towns. (21) 
24. Commelina pallida Clark. — April. Det. Rose. (25) 
A considerable number of other plants were collected, but have not 
been determined even generically. These names are but few and the 
determinations somewhat fragmentary, yet they present a few useful 
notes which it is well to record here. 
General Remarks . — San Rafael is about four or five miles inland from 
the coast in a straight line, about ten miles by river; and is about 20 or 
30 feet above sea level. It is about 75 miles by road north of Jalapa, but 
much nearer in a straight line; and the town of hTautla at the mouth of 
the river is about 70 miles by sea from Vera Cruz. The collecting was 
done there in March, April, June and July. 
This is a very good vanilla district, being no doubt of the same nature 
as the famous Papantla district more to the north. Coffee produces ex- 
tremely well, and in large yields. Rubber, cocoanuts, and even cacao do 
well, as do also pineapples, oranges, sapotes, mangoes, ipapaws, bananas and 
all other tropical fruits. Mangos sometimes, however, do not seem to 
ripen well; and cacao seems to have some difficulty in maturing its fruit, 
