424 fetch: 



and 21 • 6 : 1 , and therefore approach B. excelsa in stature, but 

 they are perhaps too young to admit of any comparison. 

 Miers states that nobilis differs from excelsa in its immense 

 trunk, bare to a great height ; on this point, it may be said that 

 though our trees do not yet show an enormously thick trunk, 

 one of them is ahnost bare to a height of 30 ft., while the 

 other is clothed down to the ground, and it seems probable that 

 this is due to a diiSerence in situation rather than to the 

 difference in size between the trees. 



The leaves of the Ceylon trees attain a length of 20 in. and 

 a breadth of 5i in. When young they are chestnut, but soon 

 become dark green. The margin varies, being sometimes 

 regular, sometimes obscurely toothed ; the latter feature is 

 scarcely' noticeable on the fresh leaves, but becomes more 

 prominent on dried specimens. The outer portion of the leaf 

 is strongly undulating. The larger leaves have up to thirty 

 pairs of main nerves, from 8-13 mm. apart, with shorter 

 intermediate ones. The petioles are from 14-28 mm. long, 

 but this measurement, on the fresh specimens, is not an exact 

 one, as the leaf tissue extends as a wing on either side of the 

 petiole. This last feature is especially marked on the smaller 

 leaves, the petioles of some bearing wings 2-3 mm. broad, 

 almost down to the base. On the character of the leaves, it 

 will be seen that the Ceylon trees are referable to B. excelsa, 

 as they are green and have relatively long petioles. 



Miers states that the panicle of excelsa is 8 in. long, Avith a 

 single branch nearly equal in length, with a lachis 2 lines thick 

 when dried, its zigzag turns (with prominent nodes) 2 lines 

 apart, the oval bracts very small ; while nobilis has a broader 

 panicle about 10 in. long, with about five horizontal branches 

 3-5 in. long, and nodes \ in. to | in. apart. On the Ceylon trees 

 the panicle is about a foot in length, with up to six branches. 

 These branches, however, are not horizontal, but curve upwards 

 untU they become almost parallel to the main axis, and the 

 whole inflorescence takes the shape of a candelabrum. More- 

 over, the degree of branching varies with the position of the 

 inflorescence, and while those at the top of the tree may have 

 six lateral branches, and the lowest three of those may bear 

 two 01- three secondary branches, the inflorescences lower down 



