At an early date various Spanish officials, but, apparently, chiefly the priests, introduced here the various species of economic value, food plants, medicinal plants, fruits, etc., that were familiar to their countrymen in tropical America, most often bringing seeds, but in some cases most certainly living plants. Undoubtedly many species were introduced at that time that failed to become established here. Among the American species purposely introduced from Mexico may be mentioned the following: "Maize (Zea mays L.), introduced for food; the "pineapple" (Ananas sativus Schultes), for its edible fruit and its fiber; maguey (Agave cantula Roxb.), for its fiber; the tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa L.), for its fragrant flowers; the spider lily (Hymenocallis tenuiflora Herb.), for ornamental purposes; the canna (Canna indica L.), for ornamental purposes; arrowroot (Marania arundinacea L.), for food; "aposotis" (Chenopodium ambrosioides L.), for medical purposes; four o'clock (Mirabilis jalapa L.), for ornamental purposes; "libato" (Anredera scandens Moq.); various species of Anona (A. muricata L., A. reticulata L., and A. squamosa L.), for their edible fruits; the avocado (Persea americana Mill.), for its edible fruit; the Mexican poppy (Argemone mexicana L.), for ornamental purposes or for medicine; "camanchile" (Pithecolobium dulce Benth.), for its tanbark and its edible fruit; "aroma" (Acacia farnesiana Willd.) for its fragrant flowers; "ipel-ipel" (Leucaena glauca Benth.), as a hedge plant; the sensitive plant (Mimosa pudica L.), for ornamental purposes; "cabellero" (Caesalpinia pulcherrima Sw.), for ornamental purposes; "acapulco" (Cassia alata L.), for medicinal purposes; the "peanut" (Arachis hypogaea L.), for food; indigo (Indigofera suffruticosa Mill.), for dye; "madre cacao" (Gliricidia sepium Steud.), for hedges and for ornamental purposes; the lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.), for food; the yam bean (Pachyrrhizus erosus Urb.), for its edible root; the bilimbi and carambola (Averrhoa bilimbi L., and A. carambola L.), for their edible fruits; physic nut (Jatropha curcas L.), for medicine, as well as J. multifida L. for ornamental purposes; cassava (Manihot utilissima Pohl), for food; the cashew nut (Anacardium occidentale L.), for its edible fruit; "ciruelas" (Spondias purpurea L,.), for its edible fruit; "cotton" (Gossypium braziliense Macf.), for textile purposes; "cacao" (Theobroma cacao L.), the source of chocolate and cacao; acheute (Bixa Orellana L.), for dye; the "papaya" (Carica papaya L.), for its edible fruit; various species of cacti (Nopalea and Cereus), for ornamental purposes; the guava (Psidium guajava L.), for its edible fruit; the "chico" (Achras sapota L.), for its edible fruit; the "chico mamey" (Lucuma mammosa L.), for its edible fruit; the "sapote negro" (Diospyros ebenaster Retz.), for its edible fruit; the temple flower (Plumeria acutifolia Poir.), for its fragrant flowers; the periwinkle