The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-06-21
SEEDS THAT DANCE.
The Saltatory Bean OF Mexico, and Yam
kee Pod That Is Much Higher Kicker.

kee Pod That Is Much Higher Kicker.
II has long been known that the Indians in
Mexico make powerful poison from some
native plant. which poison. in a milder form,
is also used az n cathartic. 1t has also long
been known that seeds possessing the curious
power of jumping are produced upon the
same plant in Mexico and are sent 20 other
parts OF the world, forming quite an article
of commerce. The exact nature OF TINS pant
however, has hitherto renamed a my >
terry. At recent meeting OF the WASH
ington chronological Society professor
c. V. Riley read an interesting paper
on the determination OF the plant upon
which these jumping seeds" are produced.
In the transactions OF the 81. LOUIS ACADEMY
! of Science for 1913 IN account OF CaipocaISa
! saltltans WestwOOd, the insect which causes
| the saltations of the beans he has called at
tention to the fact that the particular euphOf-
! blaceOus plant upon which these seeds are
produced was not determined. Nestwood,
/ in his original description of Carpocapsa SAT-
! itans. states that the plant IS known TO inc
/ Mexicans as COlhguaia and in recent letter
! TO Prot Riley from VI. Chreten, OF the
! French chronological Society, the plant was
referred TO as a Mexican euphOrbmceOus plant
/ called COlhguaia OdOrfera Moline.
About this time Mr.. j. NJ. Rose. of the
botanical division, brought 10 Profess T
| Riley specimens OF plants recently collected
plants specimens OF the capsules, thus render
ing 1t certain that the jumping bean occurs
on this particular plant IL turned out TO be
/ uudescrlbed, has been referred u the genus
/ Sebastiania and Will be described by Mr..
Rose as s. pameri. Professor Riley decides
! that the reference gwen by NJ. Chretlen IS er-
| roncOus, as Bentham and Hooker give Coli
] guaja edOrlfera rs from South America,
| and there is no record Of il as from MexGO.
| Comparison of the specimens IN the depart
| ment herbarum showed that, while evidently
! closely allied COlusuala IS quite distinct from
Sebastiania, which renders 1t rather remark
able that the name given by the MeXlcans TO
the plant should be Identical with that
adopted for the South American genus. The
name seems 10 be Of Gillian origin, and was
doubtless introduced into Mexico by the
Spaniards. 1t is doubtless applied to various
euphorbaecOus species having the same
poisonous attribute whether occurring IN
Mexico or south Of the equator.
closely allied species OF SeDastianla from
the same localities (as yet undescnDed, but
which Prof Watson will describe as S.pungleD
also shows evidence Of being infested with
carpOcapsa saltltans, ana a third species IS.
bilOculaIis. Watson s infested by an allied
larva of moth, which Prof. Riley describes by
the name of graphOltha seDallanue. There
is. therefore, good evidence that the insect
causing the saltatiOns of the beans develops
in the capsules Of at least two different species
of tho genus Sebastanla The young larva
doubtless matches from an egg laid externally
on the capsule and penetrates tho same
while quite young, very much as III the case OF
the common pea weavil. Dr. Palmer found =.
palmer only in certain canOns near AiamOs
where it IS pOpularly known as palo de In flecha
cuerO do las SINE las brIncaderOs larrOw tree
which produces the jumping beans The
plant eXudes a good deai OF milky Juice which
Is what the Indians use on their arrow heads
fuuf4.
eight feet high. the wood very hard ana
the milky juice readily crystahzng into
clear. white. brittle substance. IL the APP
pearance of the wood 10 reminds one some
what Of our witch hazel, and in the leaf Of a
broad-lcaved willow. As in the case OF other
EuphOrbiacete. the carpets, or each Of the
three parts of the capsule, dehsce. or sudden
" split when ripe. but when the larya inhabts
the same the parts tail 10 separate. being kept
together by the carpet of silk which the larya
spins on the inside.
The peculiar Jumping motions Of the car
pei arc thus produced as first described by
Professor Riley III the transactions of the St
Louis Academy aforementioned. The full
grown lava, by its holding fast 10 the sllken
lining by IFS anal and two hind pair of
abdominal prOlegs. which have very
strong hooks, then draws back the head and
forebody, the thOraclc parts swelling
and the thOraciC legs being withdrawn
Inc cOuIlA'lsu l'dlLo oclIB llltu StAAtillf
released. the lava vigorously taps the
wall of It's cell with the head, sometimes
thrown from side to side. but more often
brought directly down as III the motion of
woodpecker when tapping for insects. The
seed will thus move whenever warmed for
several months during the winter, because, as
with most fortified larvc, this one remains q
long time in the larval state after coming to
its growth and before pupatng
Remarkable as are the movements of this
seed Professor Riley remarked that they are
thrown into the shade by little jumping gall
produced on the leaves Of our post oak and
other oaks This is little spherical seed-like
gall. and the insect within and which pro-
duces the fly known as Cunips saltatorus, can
make it bound twenty times its own length.
tliic American.