"oSA^i'iiflTsm] PEOCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 221 



country. It is described by M. Netto,* and a short smnmary is worth 

 transcribing, as he had the advantage of studying the living pLant. 



In the section of a young stem, beginning with the bark, we have 

 first a suborous layer, then a thick cellular layer containing very little 

 chlorophyll ; and having at the side nearest the bark a mass of dotted 

 cells whose walls become very thick. On the inner edge of this 

 cellular layer we meet with a number of liberian bundles in front of 

 some woody bundles ; the latter are strikingly subdivided by the adja- 

 cent parenchyma into separate groups so as to cause it to look more like 

 the arrangement generally seen in a monocotyledonous plant. 



M. Netto mentions that the structui'e of the woody mass is even 

 more remarkable, since in the place of the ordinary medullary rays, 

 cellular bands are projected from the bark towards the pith which 

 form cortical rays. Another peculiarity of the woody part is that, 

 notwithstanding it may be two years old, the woody fibres are so 

 loosely held together that they readily detach themselves from the 

 cellular tissue in which they are imbedded. The stem must be at least 

 three years old before it attains anything like consistency ; this weak- 

 ness, as contrasted with other lianas, j)robably leads to its not being 

 so frequently used for packing purposes. 



There is one histological character, however, presented by this 

 liana which will lead to its identification, and that is the abundant 

 quantity of raphidian crystals contained in all parts of the stem. 

 M. Netto describes the form of these crystals as needle-shaped, but 

 bifurcate at one extremity — which is peculiar. 



However abnormal many of the stems belonging to these various 

 orders may become, and however difficult it may be to trace their 

 divergency from the normal structure, there can be no doubt that the 

 characteristic elements of the dicotyledonous stem are all present 

 during some portion of their lives. Their unequal development may 

 be brought about either by the vital energy of the growing tissue of 

 the bark being in excess of that of the wood, or vice versa, from 

 which circumstance will arise the curious outlines presented by the 

 relative distribution of each ; or else it may be produced by a much 

 more copious deposition of woody tissue at some points of the cir- 

 cumference than at others, from which evil will result the ciu'ious 

 forms presented by the Bauhinias and many of the Malpighiaceje. 



The monocotyledonous division of the vegetable kingdom has also 

 its representatives amongst thcfe ropes. There are two species, per- 

 haps belonging to the grasses, which I have met with ; but in neither 

 case is the entire stem used. One species is much larger than the 

 other, their diameters being about two inches and four inches respec- 

 tively ; both are hollow and are divided into strips for use. 



There are many other species foimd amongst these ropes which 

 belong to other uatm-al orders, such as the Mtnispermaceae, Gneta- 

 ccfe, AsclepiadaccfB, &c., but our knowledge of them is too limited to 

 assign them to their respective orders. Most of my specimens have 

 come from cotton bales of Santos Cotton, and it would be as well to 



* ' Anuales des Sciences,' 5tli ser. Bnt. t. vi., p. 320 ; ' Comntes Eentliis,' t. Ixii., 

 p. 1076. 



