DISSEMINATION AND LEAF REFLEXION OF yucca. I11 
and are evacuated in good condition for germination. 
Many seeds are also scattered by being twitched to some 
distance by the bird, in freeing its bill from the adhering 
pulp and seeds. A tame mocking bird swallowed and 
evacuated 51 seeds in 4 hours. A number of these were 
afterwards germinated. 
The trunk of aloifolia is prolonged by the lateral branch 
or branches which spring from near the base of the old 
fruit cluster. This branch prolongs the trunk and in turn 
bears an inflorescence and fruit, about two years being re- 
quired usually to complete the period of development, 
The aloifolia trunk in its development may thus be divided 
into definite stages or segments, which in the lack of a 
term to designate them are here called phytomeroids. The 
lateral branch which continues the stem starts to develop 
about the time that the fleshy fruits begin todry up. At 
about the same time the erect leaves of the phytomeroid 
to which the fruit cluster belongs begin to reflex, and soon 
come to point strongly downward. The reflexed persistent 
leaves of the older phytomeroids become closely appressed 
against the stem and, pointing downward like a series of 
bayonets, prevent small mammals from climbing the trunk. 
The reflexed leaves aid as a secondary method of dissem- 
ination. Seeds and dry fruits falling on these are directed 
or thrown outward so that they fall at a distance of a meter 
or so from the parent plant. 
Old fruit clusters of aloifolia, after the fruits have 
passed the stage for bird eating by drying up, are cut off 
by the larve of Prodoxus decipiens. The leaves of the 
phytomeroid to which these fruit clusters belong, have by 
this time become reflexed and thus do not prevent the fall 
of the cluster but direct it outward away from the parent 
plant. 
The reflexed leaves by preventing animals from climbing 
the trunk also serve to protect the fruits from the ravages 
of those animals that might injure the seeds. 
The protection of the fruits and aid in seed dissemina- 
