OLITEE OlSr THE ATLAKTIS HTPOTHESTS. 1G9 



27. Ttrxodiiim.—Trof. Heei*'s T. duhium appears to me as near 

 to Olypfostrobus as to Taxodium, especially in the reduced squamreform 

 leaves, wliicli Taxodium (excepting T. distichum var. imhricaria , Natt.) 

 generally wants. The fragment, Tab. xvii. 1 and 4 (Flora Tert.) of 

 T. Fischeri is exceedingly like Glyptostrobus, as Heer observes. In 

 the Eoyal Grardens at Kew is a fine tree which I think may be the 

 Cwpressus disticha j3. nutans ; " foliis remotioribus subsparsis" of 

 Alton's " Hortus Kewensis." This tree is traditionally reported to 

 be of Japanese origin, though on no positive authority. It difters 

 conspicuously in the leaves, usually one-third to one-half longer 

 than in T. distichum, being irregularly disposed along the deciduous 

 branchlets, which are often G — 9 inches in length. The leaves are 

 not at all distichous.* 



28. Libocedms. — In the absence of the strobili this genus must 

 be received with doubt. 



29. Butomus. — Extremely ambiguous, resting on two opposite 

 carpels, each bearing a style. The only Aroid (Aronifes) is also 

 very doubtful, as Prof. Hecr admits. 



30. Chamcerops and Sabal. — Tertiary fan-leaved species are re- 

 ferred to these recent genera, which are characterised thus (Flora 

 Tertiaria, p. 85). Chamcerops. — " Folia flabelliformia, palmato-mul- 

 tifida, radiis induplicativis ; omnibus e rhachide abbreviata, rotunda 

 exeuntibus ; petioli aculeati v. dentati." Sabal. — ^" Folia flabelli- 

 formia, palmato-multifida, n^diis induplicativis rhachis elongata, 

 infra cuspidata, supra cristata." Professor Heer says further, in the 

 genus Sabal we have an unarmed petiole, and the rhachis prolonged 

 into the laniina, on the upper side of which it terminates in a crest, 

 wanting in Chamcerops. In reference to these points, I have 

 examined several species in cultivation at Kew, and feel satisfied 

 that Professor Heer's distinctions are not of generic value. 



In Ghamcerops excelsa and gracilis the petioles are unarmed. 

 The rhachis on the upper side of the fan is strongly crested in 

 Ch. Fortunei and Ch. gracilis. In the latter sjDecies the crest 

 projects from one half to five-eighths of an inch, perpendicular to 

 the lamina. The petiole of Ch. Fortunei is scarcely armed, being 

 serrate along the margins above. I do not find ChamcBrops to have 

 the rhachis much prolonged into the lamina on the underside, while in 

 some species of Sabal the prolongation is very marked. But this is 

 the case in Old World palms, which may be as nearly related to the 

 Tertiary plant as Sabal ; for example, a palm-leaf from the Grambia, 

 "West Africa, in the Kew Museum, has the rhachis bearing a small 

 triangidar crest above, while below it is prolonged some six inches. 

 In Hyphaena I have seen the rhachis in a young plant to be much 

 prolonged both above and below, and destitute of a crest. 



* The GlyptoKtrolius of " Flora TerfAaria" appears near to G. hetei'ophtjllus. 

 "^'his species, however, has the squam£e of its stroboli bearing a triangular dorsal 

 apicuhis, patent or slightly reciu-ved, and the suleiof the margin alternate with wart- 

 like elevations. I do not observe these characters m Prof. Heer's figures. 

 N. H. R.— 1862. N 



