437 



points of structure are well sliowii in the fio'ures wliieli illus- 

 trate ijvxidia obtained from different sources. Comparisons of the 

 photograjjlis with Miers description of B. nobilia will leave no doubt 

 of their identity. Most, if not all, of the pyxidia wliich the writer 

 has examined were l)rouo-ht to this country l)y the im])orters of 

 Brazil-nuts and reipresent the source of the nuts in which they deal." 



In IDl-i, L)r. T. Fetch, in the Annals of the Royal Botanic 

 Gardens, Peradeniija, V. pp. 421r431, as a resvilt of study of a living 

 tree controverted Young's statements, concluding thus : — 



" It is evident tlnat the Peradeniya tree in many respects com- 

 bines the characters of the two species. Tlie foliage is that of 

 excelsa, and the shape of the pyxidium is tht>t of e.vceha, thougli the 

 opercular openings are those of B. nohilis:" 



On the whole, though conclusions l)ase(l on a single tree eaji 

 scarcely be regarded as valid, it would a])])ear thiat this Peradeniya 

 tree affords strong ground for the suggestion that there is, after all 

 only one species of Bcrtliollelia." 



It is proposed liere to give the results of an examination of the 

 tree.^; in the Economic (iardeii, Singapore, chiefly of the two older 

 trees. 



The Ceylon plant was introduced from Ivew, in 1880: in 1881. 

 Singapore received plants also from Kew: a common origin of tlie 

 older trees is. therefore, i)ossil)le. Observations on the two older 

 Singapore trees are beloAv. The third and younger tree would have 

 a different origin. 



In the Singapore trees the cliaracters assigned as identitication 

 marks to Miers' two species are mixed and the proportion of 

 cliaracters said to belong to B. nobilis are to those said to 

 belong to B. p-xcelsa as 8 : 5. 



From the examination of the fruits only, upon which t^Ir. 

 Young has relied, our trees will fall into the species. B. notjilis and 

 not into the species B. excelsa: but from other marks the conclusion 

 holds thai there is only one species. 



Sr:MMAl!Y OF TTIK CUAKACTKltS. 



1. Height: diameter ratio:: 36.4:1; 47.3:1; 



4"^..5 : 1. . . . . . . . . . . excelsa. 



2. Trunk hare up to ahout (4) 25 feet; (2) 



30 feet; the third tree 10 feet .. .. nobilis. 



3. Leaves dark green when old, young rufcsrrnl ncvbilis and 



excelsa. 



4. Fetiole is up to 28 mm. long . . . . excelsa. 



5. Fanicles in.,5 inches long, with 3-G side 



branches horizontal and then becoming 

 parallel • • • • nohilis. 



6. Floral nodes 0..5 inch, apart . . . . . . nobilis. 



