366 Transactions. — Botany. 



margin, glabrous or with a few scattered hairs on under-sur- 

 face ; upper surface fiat ; under - surface convex ; petioles 

 short, slightly channelled above, connate at base. 



Early development : While the first leaves are in the bud, 

 or slowly unfolding, the stem is being rapidly developed, 

 attaining in some specimens a length of 2 mm. By the time 

 the plant has attained a height of 2-45 cm. it possesses three 

 leaves fully or nearly fully developed, from the axil of each of 

 ■which, and also from the axils of the cotyledons, a shoot is 

 being pushed forth. 



Leaves cauline, distichous, large, inserted on margin of 

 stem when latter is flattened, long-petioled, stipulate, spread- 

 ing, with upper surface of leaflets horizontal. 



1st leaf (Plate XXX., fig. 2) 1-3 cm. long; lamina 5 mm. 

 or 6 mm. x 4 mm. to 6 mm., obcordate or rotund-emarginate, 

 entire with red margin, yellowish-green but rather paler on 

 under- surface, glabrous; nerves not visible; midrib raised 

 considerably on under-surface ; petiole articulated to midrib 

 at about 5 mm. from base of lamina, semi-terete, channelled 

 above, brownish, articulate at base. 



2nd leaf variable in size, in some cases 2 cm. long, ternate, 

 each leaflet articulated to petiole by a prolongation of its mid- 

 rib ; leaflets very similar in all respects to 1st leaf ; petiole 

 articulated at base, furnished with a few scattered hairs. 



Succeeding leaves (Plate XXX., fig. 1) — largest plant ex- 

 amined 28 cm. long and with fourteen leaves — very similar 

 to 2nd leaf, but lateral leaflets usually smaller than terminal, 

 and rarely very much reduced, variable in colour from bright- 

 green with brown margin to brownish dotted minutely with 

 pink and pink margin and midrib ; laminae almost glabrous, 

 with a very few hairs on the margin or midrib ; petioles with 

 scattered white bristly hairs on margin. 



Seedling leaves as compared with adult leaves : Seedling 

 leaves are much larger, thinner, and paler green than adult 

 leaves, which, moreover, become smaller and smaller towards 

 tip of branch. 



Stem dark-purple, semi-erect or decumbent, at first wiry, 

 terete, almost glabrous or marked with minute white scales 

 in parallel longitudinal rows separated by hardly raised 

 glabrous ridges. As development proceeds from the 3rd inter- 

 node upwards, or even sooner, the upper surface of the stem 

 becomes quite hoary with adpressed white bristles, and at the 

 same time is slightly flattened and broadened, but not flat ; 

 under-surface marked with ridges and lines of scales more 

 evident than m early internodes, slightly hairy ; interuodes 

 very constant in size, lengthening with development. Of 

 plant 28cm. long they are 2cm. long and 2mm. broad; of 

 plant 10 cm. long they are 1-6 cm. long. 



