from any definite part of the ovary. They resemble ad- 
ventitious style-like outgrowths. 
Several fruits of Methysticodendron A mesianum were 
collected in 1947. These were preserved in alcohol and 
sent to Bogota, but, unfortunately, they were lost in 
shipment. Consequently, a detailed description of them 
cannot be given here. We may record, however, that 
they were unarmed, smooth, indehiscent and fusiform, 
about six inches in length and in shape very like the fruit 
of Datura suaveolens. 
The evidence for retaining Methysticodendron in the 
Solanaceae seems to me to be overwhelming. Neverthe- 
less, the several fundamental characters in which this con- 
cept diverges from the conditions now embraced by the 
family must be borne in mind. It would seem entirely 
probable that a new tribe should be set up within the 
Solanaceae to accommodate Methysticodendron. 
W ould we not be warranted in suspecting that we have 
at hand perhaps a primitive representative of the Solan- 
aceae, possibly a prototype of what has today developed 
into the tree-species of Datura? The apparent primitive- 
ness in the union of floral parts might conceivably be in- 
terpreted in this light. In any consideration that Methys- 
ticodendron may represent a prototype of the modern 
representatives of the brugmansioid Datura-species, it 
would be advisable to take into account the interesting 
fact that the Valley of Sibundoy, a locality which we 
know to be a repository of many curious endemics, is a 
high Andean region, and the center of origin of some 
tree-species of Datura is thought to be the northern 
Andean area. 
Because of the extreme rarity of this plant, even in the 
Valley of Sibundoy, and because of its extraordinary 
beauty, several attempts were made to introduce Methys- 
ticodendron A mesianum into cultivation. In 19538, efforts 
[7] 
