92 
cells which yield the gutta percha in Dichopsis than to the 
laticiferous vessels of Hevea, Manihot, Sapivm, and other 
Euphorbiaceous plants. 
To Weiss’ description of the anatomy Barthelat adds somewhat. 
He found that the cortical parenchyma of the young stem con- 
tained abundant caoutchouc cells, sometimes running singly, 
phloem; while in the leaf-blades they were very plentiful, 
running with the nerves and branching from them to end ina 
swollen extremity under the palisade parenchyma of the upper 
surface. 
Caoutchouc is thus seen to be present in every part of the plant 
except the wood and the outer layer of parenchyma of the young 
roots. 
We may now leave the anatomy of the plant to quote from the 
paper by MM. Dybowski and Fron of the economic possibilities 
which Hucommia may possess. The following statements are 
translated from pp. 559-560 of their paper :-— 
“Our attention was called to the similar way in which the 
contents of the laticiferous vessels of Palaguiwm and Eucommia 
become evident when the leaves are carefully broken; and so 
we were led to apply to the different organs of the latter plant 
the procedure recommended i 
that the fresh lea 
full of laticiferous vessels, 
still very young, we have not been able to take any branches 
away for examination. : 
“A second series of observations was made upon the fruits, 
fruit is a samara, the length of it being 13-18 inches, and 
hund fruits weigh about 13 
gramm The extraction of matter soluble in toluene has 
given us the following results :-— 
toluene 
99 
Ist attempt, 15 grammes yielded 4:09 gr. soluble in 
2nd » ” ” 4-12 gr. ” 
2.2. 8°20 gr. from 30 grammes of matter, or a yield of 27-34 
per cent. We worked with fruits not dried. The fruit contains 
a small proportion of water, equal to 7-4 per cent. 
“The product obtained is of a brown colour with metallic reflec- 
tions on the surface. Plunged into hot water it becomes soft again, 
stretches out in thin flakes like goldbeater’s skin, and under 
pressure will take the impress of metal. In cooling it loses its 
suppleness and becomes quite hard. 
