180 FASCIATION 1\ I'OUItClluYA CUHL., . ■■.. 



remote et argute serratis senatuiis minimis aJpressis, sinubus obtusin 

 Buperioribus claiisis vel subelausis, foliis supra saturate viridibus 

 lucidis pubter pallidioribus pilosulis vel subglabris pilis brevibus ad- 

 pressis ; stipulis angustissimis f'alcatis fugacibus; r///rt/s terminalibus 

 et opposititoliis 5-radiatis pulcherrime rubris et pilis brevibus albis 

 notiitis, radiis apicc bifidis ;Jlonbics umbellulatis pedicellatis pedicellia 

 lioribus ooqualibus, calycibus subtruncatis, potalis obtusis caducis- 

 eimis, disco contiiiuo 4-sulcato, filamentis 4 sulcis disci adpressis, 

 fintheri.s flavis roiinectivo rubro, stylo \iridi ; fructu magnitudine pisi 

 nigro monosperino. 



Petiolusfolioruiii 9-10 centimetralis, limbus 1.3 centim. longus ad 

 20 latus, cymi 4 centim. in diametro, llores 3 mm. longi. 



This handsome species, which I believe to be new to science, was 

 found in the woods near Mariara, on the Lake of Valencia, whence Cli. 

 Halm, Ks(j., Consul of Isew Granada, Caracas, obtained the specimen 

 he cultivates in his lovely garden £1 Paraiso, to wliom I dedicate the 

 species as an acknowledgment of the great service he has done to 

 Venezuelan liorticulture by the introduction and cultivation of a great 

 number of valuable and beautiful plants. 



Caracas, January 15th, 1876. 



A CASE OF FASCIATION IIS' FOURCROYA CUBENSIS, Hau-. 

 Br Dii. A. Erxst. 



The Museo Nacio7ial of Caracas received lately a very interest- 

 ing fasciated inflorescence of this plant, in which all the axes have 

 coalesced, forming a large, somewhat twisted board, 2 metres high, 

 1-33 m. broad (allowance made for the curvatures), and from 1 decim. 

 to 8 millim. thick. It was discovered on the coffee estate, Montalban, 

 near Caracas, and offered to the Museum by Mr. M. Escobar, a merchant 

 of that city. 



I think this object of interest, as most probably the largest case of 

 fasciation on record, the plant besides not being included in the list 

 given by Dr. Masters in his " Teratology " (pp. 20, 21). I have 

 observed fasciation also in the following plants, likewise missing 

 from Dr. ^Masters' list: Stachi/tarpha jamaicensis {\erj common), Achraa 

 Sapota, Jafsminum Samhac, Croton tirticifoliwt. 



I should think this formation is not always the result of a fusion 

 of several axes. In Stachijfarphajamaicensis, for instance, the normal 

 inflorescence is an elongated, thread-like spike, bearing the flowers in 

 furrows of the rachis. In the fasciated inflorescence the basal part is 

 quite as narrow, but it enlarges gradually, measuring sometimes 

 more than an inch across its top, and forming a leaf-like, spathulate 

 body, densely covered oji both sides by numerous flowers. As there 

 is normally but one rachis or axis, the fasciation cannot be, I should 

 think, a fusion of several axes, and I would rather prefer, in this case, 

 Moquin Tandon's explanation. The same I believe to be the case 

 with fasciated branches of Achras Sapota. They enlarge gradually, 

 bearing at the end a dense tuft of leaves. s 



