332 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERT. 



peaches, cherries, and grapes. Each region produces its peculiar 

 iVuit. The leaves of some of tiie species were so large, tliat he had 

 seen two men sitting in tlie axil of one of them. Some of these 

 leaves measure thirty to forty feet in length, and ten to fifteen feet 

 in width ; and even when dry one of them was a heavy load for 

 one man to drag. 



In examining the ground of the diversity of the palms, he said 

 he had found it to rest on the arrangement of the leaves. The 

 result of the investigation of this arnmgement was the discovery 

 that the leaves occupy as nmch space as possible, and tlierel)y get 

 as much of the surrounding iulluences as it is possible for them to 

 obtain. All i)alms might be divided into two groups, those hav- 

 hig fan-shaped leaves, and those having pinnate or feather-sliai)ed 

 leaves. It had been his study to ascertain which of these was the 

 lower an<l which the higher order. Observing that the leaves 

 first germinating were fan-shaped, and that the youngest palms 

 bore fan-sliaped leaves, and considei-ing that the younger palm is 

 inferior to the adult, he had no douljt that the fan-leaved palms 

 "wei-e the lower order, anil were the first to appear upon the earth. 

 This was an important I'aet to be known in the investigation of 

 fossils, and in comparing the cmljryonic with the later conditions. 



Passing to other families of phiuts, he said there were other rep- 

 resentatives quite as abundant as the palms. One of the most 

 surprising features of the vegetation were the innumerable or- 

 chid;e, growing as parasites upon other plants, twining around 

 them, or hanging from them, in great variety of colors. Nearest 

 aliin to these were the various species of the banana family. Of 

 plants allied to our own trees there were none. There was not a 

 single representative of the catkin family, except a small willow 

 growing in the mud-flats of the Amazon. Of the herbaceous plants 

 found in our latitude, such as the ranunculus and the mustard- 

 plant, there were no representatives. The pepper family had nu- 

 merous representatives, some growing to stately trees. There 

 were also numerous trees of the genus Laurus, such as sassafras, 

 camphor, and cinnamon. 



lie called attention to a very peculiar feature of Brazilian veg- 

 etation, namely, the stately forms of plants which with us are 

 but humble plants . These also have a marvellous diversity of 

 foliage and beauty of flowers. The papilionaceous plants have a 

 diversity of which our plants give us no idea. Another peculiar 

 feature, is that plants widely diftering from our own have uses 

 similar to those of other families at the north, bearing fruits re- 

 sembling nuts, peaches, and plums of northern growth. There is 

 also an extraordinaiy diversit}- of timber and wood suitable for 

 cabinet work, delicious fruits, and great wealth of medicinal jilants 

 and dyewoods. 



BOTANICAL SU3IMAET. 



Sand Food-Plant of Sonora. — Dr. Torrey has described and 

 figured in the eighth volume of the "Annals of the Lyceum of 

 Natural Histoiy," New York, the Ammobroma Sonorce, an extraor- 



