SHORT NOTES. 3l3 



P. Apii, Corda. Nortlifleet marshes, 21. C. Cooke. 

 P. Saniculte, Grev. 



Darentli Y/ood, M. C. Cooke ; Joycleu's AVood, Holmes. 

 P. Anemones, P. Abbey AYood, Holmes. 

 P. Umbilici, Giiep. 



On living LuzuJa, Darentli Wood, ' Grevillea,' 187G, p. 109. 

 P. Saxifragarum, Schl. 



Greeuhitlie, M. G. Cooke; Swanscombe Wood, Holmes; Ciurey, 

 Greenw. lieiJ. 

 P. SPARS A, Cooke. 



On Tragojwgon pmtensis, j\[. C. Cooke. 

 P. Malvacearum, Mont. Sydenham Hill ; Currey, Greenw. Rep. 

 (To be continued.) 



SHOET NOTES. 



Notes on Carica Papaya at Bantam, Java. — I was much struck 

 here with the fruiting of the Pa]3a3^a trees. In some trees I 

 I)erceived that the fruit was sessile and growing directly from the 

 true stem, while in others it dangled from the extremities of long 

 slender peduncles — sometimes, however, two or three fruits were 

 attached to one peduncle by short pedicels. The fruit was about 

 equal in size on both trees, the stalked being somewhat more pear- 

 shaped, rougher, and more distinctly furrowed. I then observed 

 that the sessile fruits were on female trees, and the stalked on 

 males. I could not for a long time find an explanation for this 

 singular latter circumstance, for on examining this particular male 

 tree I could find no flower with any but rudimentary pistils. I 

 then requested the natives to bring me flowers from all the neigh- 

 bouring trees, but of these a male only here and there produced 

 fruit. Such male trees as produce fruit produce it normally year 

 after year from their youth, and do not suddenly or spasmodically 

 produce one year and as suddenly cease bearing. At last five 

 branches of a Papaya laki, which I afterwards examined, — a male 

 tree, — were brought to me, having fruit suspended on long stalks, 

 and bearing thirty- seven male, female, or hermaphrodite flowers, the 

 sexes proportioned as follows : — Fifteen males (all decandrous, 

 epipetalous, but one flower had five short and five long stamens, 

 and the pistil shorter than all, and in four unopened buds the 

 anthers had dehisced) ; four female (one flower had one stamen 

 abortive) ; eighteen hermaphrodite (in one flower the stamens 

 formed an outer calyx-lilie row with ovules on the inner faces). 

 Between the producing capabilities of the two kinds the natives 

 tell me there is no difference ; but the fruit of the female tree is 

 preferred to that of the male when ripe. The long stalks to the 

 fruit is easily explained, as the female flowers occur on in- 

 florescences which are many-flowered and long, and the fructi- 

 fying ones remain after the male flow(3rs fall. After very careful 

 search I have failed to discover any male flowers on female trees. — 



2s 



