416 TEAXSACTIOXS AXD PROCEEDINGS OF THE [Sess. Lix, 



of the leaf clear of at least the lower portion of the 

 surrounding vegetation, and in any case to a considerable 

 height above the terminal bud. It is provided with a 

 slight groove on the upper face, and is smoothly cylindrical 

 but not keeled below. At the base it expands laterally 

 into a short but comparatively broad membranous vagina, 

 which scarcely half surrounds the stem bearing on its 

 upper free margin two long, linear, somewhat spreading 

 stipules, each of which is crowned at its apex by a tuft of 

 short delicate hairs, and bears on its inner side (that 

 opposite the petiole) a short triangular tooth which projects 

 from it almost at right angles. 



The lamina is composed of a single terminal leaflet of 

 nearly orbicular outline, with an apical triangular sinus, 

 from the base of which arises, in typical cases, an extremely 

 short, blunt, spine-like process, which is, however, not unfre- 

 quently absent. The margin of the leaflet is more or less 

 distinctly undulate on at least the upper half of its extent, 

 and the marginal projections correspond with the termina- 

 tions of the lateral veins. A distinct midrib runs up the- 

 median plane of the leaflet, and terminates in the short 

 triangular apical projection after having given rise to three 

 or four pairs of slender lateral branches, which, after again 

 branching once or twice, terminate as above stated in the 

 margin of the leaflet. 



Before the second leaf reaches its full development, the 

 intemode bearing it has undergone a considerable elonga- 

 tion, sufficient, at least, to raise it half an inch or so clear 

 of the vaginal sheath of the first leaf by which it has been 

 protected. It is placed almost opposite the first, but some- 

 what approximated to it on the left-hand side, and is tri- 

 foliate, all three leaflets being attached to the petiole by 

 short cylindrical joints, one at the apex and the other two 

 laterally opposite each other at about an eighth of an inch 

 behind the terminal one. 



The petiole is considerably elongated, and in transverse 

 section may be described as rather broadly triangular, the 

 apex projecting strongly downwards, while a deep groove 

 runs along the upper face from the base, where it expands 

 into the vaginal sheath, to the point at which the two 

 lateral leaflets arise, beyond which the petiole is narrower 



