li'I BANCROFT ON THE HOG-GUM TREE OF JAMAICA. 



what horizontal, round, subdividing, cicatrized, of an ashy- 

 brown colour, but green and shining at the extremities. 



Leaves numerous on the younger branches, petioled, op- 

 posite, disposed in two rows, and appearing as if abruptly 

 pinnated, oblong acuminate, three to four inches in length, 

 by an inch to an inch and a half in breadth, smooth on each 

 side, subcoriaceous, very entire, shining and deep-green on the 

 upper surface, paler and veined on the under, impunctate. 

 The veins are numerous, almost parallel, opaque, arising 

 from the middle rib at nearly a right angle, and usually di- 

 viding close to the margin of the leaf. 



Petioles nearly round, smooth, even, about a quarter of an 

 inch long, channelled and flattened above the middle, jointed 

 at base, deciduous, green. 



Stipules two on each side of the petiole, acuminated, 

 scarcely visible to the naked eye, and soon falling off without 

 leaving any scar : whence the petioles might easily be thought 

 to be exstipulate, as they are stated to be generally in the 

 order Guttiferce. 



Buds terminal and axillary, subcylindrical, smooth, acumi- 

 nated, covered by four acuminated, keeled, equitant, cadu- 

 cous, green scales. 



The flowers bear their organs in a quinary proportion, in 

 which respect they again differ from the majority of the Gvf- 

 tifercs ; they are hermaphrodite, pedunculated, terminal at 

 the tips of the branchlets, in racemes of from four to twelve 

 flowers, more rarely single or in pairs, or in threes, in the 

 axils of the leaves, appearing about the same time with the 

 leaves, inodorous. The flowers never expand fully, but con- 

 tinue with the petals closely overlapping each other, except 

 at lop, where they dilate slightly, and by a notch at their tips 

 form a small opening, through which the ends of the conni- 

 vent fasciculi of stamens gradually issue in the form of a 

 short cone. 



Peduncles round, slighty club-shaped, one-flowered, smooth, 

 even, gently curved, green, often reddish above, jointed at 

 base, and there furnished with minute bractese, which iall 



