442 Verr'dl. Notes on Madiata. 



at other times at two or three inches. The main branches are about 

 as large as the trunk and divide again at '5 to 3 inches from their ori- 

 gin. Some of the secondary branches remain simple, but most of 

 them divide again in an irregularly dichotomous manner, the branches 

 being from "5 to 2 inches apart. The branches almost always diverge 

 greatly at first, sometimes even almost at right angles, and then bend 

 upward with a broad curve. The branchlets are mostly crooked, or 

 variously curved, divergent, about as large as the branches, sometimes 

 slightly tapering, but usually uniform in size or a little clavate, ob- 

 tusely roimded at the end, varying in length from "5 to 2 inches. In 

 two specimens some of the main branches are broad and somewhat flat- 

 tened, diameter "65 by 'SO. The largest specimens consist of a single 

 stem, which divides at the height of two inches, the first branch re- 

 maining simple and about three inches long, the main stem divides 

 again within half an inch, and each of the nearly equal main branches 

 forks at about half an inch from its origin, and their subdivisions are 

 again dichotomous at '5 to 1 'S. Some of the resulting branches remain 

 simple, but most of them are once and a few twice dichotomous, at 

 distances of 1 to 2 '5 inches. The branchlets are all curved or crooked, 

 1 to 2-5 inches long, '35 in diameter, mostly a little clavate, very ob- 

 tuse and, like the branches, are situated nearly in one plane. The 

 verrucpe are rather small, short, crowded, usually appressed and some- 

 what imbricated, the upper lip obsolete, the lower one well developed, 

 oval, obtusely pointed, the tip often incurved. On the trunk and lower 

 part of branches the lower lip is usually less developed, not appressed, 

 often obliquely tnmcated, the cells opening ujjward and outward. The 

 surface of the verrucse is strongly gi-anulous with the very small and 

 short, warty spicula, but not spinulose. Coenenchyma thick, firm, 

 granulous. Axis yellowish brown at base ; brownish black in the 

 branches and compressed at the axils ; yellowish brown, coarse, rigid, 

 and brittle in the branchlets. Color uniform reddish purple, the sur- 

 face when dry covered with a film of dull yellowish. 



The largest single specimen is 9 inches high ; 7 broad ; diameter of 

 trunk '40; of branchlets "28 to "35; length of largest verruca? -06 to 

 •07 ; breadth at base '05 to "06. One of the clumps is 6 inches high ; 

 breadth 9 by 5"5. In some dwarf specimens the diameter of the 

 branchlets is only '20 to -25. In some specimens the largest verrucoe 

 become "lO of an inch long, and '06 or '07 broad. 



The spicula are small and bright reddish purple, sometimes tinged 

 with yellowish. The larger ones are mostly short and stout spindles, 

 stout thorny clubs, and short irregular spicula, lacerately spinulose on 



