THEIR FORMS AND FUNCTIONS. 507 
‘The axillary buds are slightly extra-axillary, very small, covered 
with small scales and rust-coloured scurf. They consist mostly 
of flower-buds, and leafy buds seldom develop. 
SALVADORACER. 
Azima tetracantha, Lam.— Leaves opposite, decussate, lanceo- 
late, acuminate, entire, petiolate, stipulate, glabrous, persistent ; 
petiole very short, channelled above but not dilated at the base. 
Stipules minute, about 0:25-0:30 mm. long, subulate, pale, but 
soon becoming light brown, and gradually breaking away from 
the top downwards, but persisting for some time. They appear 
to be of little protective value. 
The terminal bud consists of a pair of leaves closely applied 
face to face, attaining some size before they expand, and pro- 
tecting the younger members between them. 
The axillary buds are rather remarkable. What appear to be 
two spines situated in the axil of the leaf, are really the first pair 
of leaves of the axillary shoot. In their early stages they are 
erect, closely applied and very short, but when fully developed 
they become hard, spiny, and diverging. Their foliar nature is 
further indicated by the fact that a slender groove runs along the 
opposing faces from apex to base, where there is a deeper cavity 
as if a sheath were attempted. They are also articulated with 
the stem. The second and third pairs of leaves on the axillary 
shoot (when the latter develops) are reduced to scales which 
decussate with the spines. True leaves follow the scales. The 
spines protect the plant generally, and are developed before the 
axillary shoot elongates ; they also, together with the two pairs of 
scales, constitute a further protection to the axillary buds. 
In some respects therefore Azima tetracantha offers an in- 
teresting analogy with Catesbea spinosa, Linn. (Rubiacew), and 
Carissa spinarum, Linn. 
APOCYNACES. 
In Alstonia scholaris, R. Br. (fig. 5), the leaves are whorled at the 
apex of each growth, in groups of 6 to 9, narrowly oblong-elliptic, 
narrowed to both ends, but obtusely pointed, closely but some- 
what irregularly feather-nerved, with the nerves nearly at right 
angles to the midrib and uniting in a slender vein traversing the 
whole lamina immediately within the margin; entire, glabrous, 
persistent, deep green above and whitish beneath, shortly petiolate. 
