364 Trmisactions. — Botany. 



Leaves (Plate XXX., fig. 7) distichous on edge of stem 

 or cladode, becoming much depauperated as development pro- 

 ceeds, cauline, petiolate, stipulate, at first green, then variegated 

 with light stains at base, finally brownish-purple. 



1st leaf (Plate XXX., fig. 8) rotund, subrotund or ob- 

 cordate, variable in size ; lamina from 1 cm. x 1 cm. to 

 7 mm. X 6 mm., rounded or slightly cuneate at base, emargin- 

 ate, ciliate with a few scattered deciduous (?) hairs, pale-green 

 on upper but much paler on under surface, very sparingly 

 pilose with a few adpressed white hairs ; margin entire, 

 often purplish ; midrib reddish at base ; veins evident below ; 

 petiole 7 mm. long, channelled above, terete beneath, articu- 

 lated at junction with midrib, the articulation becoming 

 more evident as development proceeds, slightly hairy, articu- 

 lated at base, and furnished with two short membranous, 

 triangular, adnate stipules, which are purple and hairy, es- 

 pecially at apex. 



2nd leaf similar to 1st leaf, but usually rather smaller. 



3rd leaf as 1st or 2nd leaf, or sometimes as 4th leaf. 



4th leaf ternate with three obcordate leaflets, similar in 

 hairiness, &c., to the previously described leaves ; lateral 

 leaflets 2-5 mm. x 2 mm., often larger, articulated to midrib; 

 terminal leaflet much larger than lateral, 6 mm. x 4-5 mm. ; 

 petiole 6 mm. long, similar to those described above. 



Stem usually at first grooved and ribbed, sometimes 

 4-ribbed or merely angled,, almost glabrous, soon becoming 

 through flattening of its surface and reduction of leaves a 

 leafy cladode. 



Leafy cladode (Plate XXX., fig. 6) dorsiventral in all 

 the seedlings raised except one''' ; upper surface terete, 4 mm. 

 wide, furrowed with usually six to nine shallow furrows, dark- 

 purple, dotted with minute white scales, canescent with short 

 white bristly adpressed hairs in adjacent patches ; ridges 

 paler than furrows, translucent; under -surface flat, much 

 less hairy than upper surface, or almost glabrous, except for 

 dotting of minute scales, never canescent, always much 

 grooved ; margins pink, translucent, much notched ; notches 

 rounded, with pale-coloured upper margin swollen and ex- 

 tending as a transverse striation or swelling half across the 

 stem on both surfaces ; internodes, in plant 13-5 cm. long, 

 6 mm. long, 3 mm. broad at base, 4 mm. broad at notch, 

 2 mm. thick. 



Further development : The succeeding leaves are more 

 and more depauperated, the lateral leaflets being smaller 



* This exceptional seedling differs chiefly in the upper surface not 

 canescent, and in its much thinner texture ; its under-surface, however, 

 is more distinctly furrowed than the upper. 



