V 
OBSERVATIONS  ON  SOME  PRODUCTIONS  OF  MEXICO.  499 
which  he  had  presented  to  the  Mexican  Academy,  and  expressed 
a  wish  that  it  be  published  in  France.  It  has  already  been  ex- 
plained how  this  memoir  came  to  light,  by  a  visit  to  M.  Merck, 
from  which  the  following  extract  is  made: 
"The  legitimate  cevadilla  maybe  produced  by  the  following 
plants,  viz: 
(A.)  Asagrcea  officinalis,  Lindley,  Veratrum  officinale  of 
Schlechtendahl,  Schoenocaulon  officinale  of  H.  Gray,  Sahadilla 
of  Orizaba,  cebadilla  or  cebolleja  of  the  inhabitants  of  tierra 
caliente  of  Yera  Cruz. 
(B.)  Veratrum  Sahadilla,  Retz.,  Orfilea  Desc,  sahadilla  or 
cebadilla  of  the  Interior. 
(C.)  Veratrum  virescens,      )       r  j  n  i 
;    ;  '      I    of  Martens  and  Ualeotti. 
(D.)  Asagrosa  tenuifoha,  j 
I  am  certain  that  A  and  B  furnish  the  true  cevadilla;  ac- 
cording to  MM.  Martens  and  Galeotti,  C  and  D  produce  a  simi- 
lar fruit. 
Note,  According  to  me  (Schaffner,)  the  new  species  C  is  only 
a  variety  of  B,  and  D  is  a  variety  of  A.  They  are  very  much 
alike,  and  the  differential  characters  do  not  appear  to  be  constant 
or  well  proven. 
The  plant  A  is  very  common  in  the  hot  country  about  Vera 
Cruz,  and  there  is  called  cebadilla  and  cebolleja,  as  being  the 
mother  plant  of  these  two  products*.  It  is  this  from  which  I 
have  always  exclusively  received  the  capsules  for  sending  to 
Vera  Cruz  for  exportation  to  Europe. 
To  distinguish  the  capsules  produced  by  A  and  B,  I  have 
found  the  following  characteristic  differences : 
The  cebadilla  of  Asagrcea  (A)  has  an  elongated  form,  and  is  ter- 
minated by  sharp  divisions.  It  is  of  a  greenish  yellow  color,  cori- 
aceous consistence,  and  retains  sometimes  at  its  base  the  oblong 
yellow  petals.  The  cebadilla  of  Veratrum  (B.)  is  rounder  and 
the  divisions  are  oval.  The  capsule  and  seeds  have  a  deeper 
color,  and  the  petals  are  purple  colored. 
Cevadilla  is  subject  to  falsification.  The  Indians  sell  to 
pharmaciens,    besides   the  capsules  of  B,   another  product 
*  I  suppose  that  the  fruit  is  called  cehadiUa,  and  the  root  ceballeja.-Q. 
