20 



ragoae bark, the branchlets ferruginous hairy at the ends. 

 Leaves alternate, glabrous, coriaceous, the xjetioles canalicu- 

 late, 5 to 3 mm. long, the blades elliptic to oblong- lanceo- 

 late, acute at the base, obtuse or aubacuminate at the apex, 

 7 to 12 cm. long, 2 to 4.7 cm. broad, olive green, minutely- 

 reticulate beneath. Inflorescence paniculate, terminal, ra- 

 mose, the rachis minutely pubescent; flowers sweet-scented, 

 white, the pedicels up to 10 mm. long; perianth tube very 

 short, the divisions 6, ovate obtuse, dark lined longitudi- 

 nally, 4 mm. long. Stamens 3-seriate, introrse and fertile 

 in the two outer series, sterile and provided at the base 

 with 2 large glands in the inner series, the anthers sessile 

 and 4-celled, Pistil glabrous, about 2 mm. long, the ovary- 

 ovoid, the style short, the stigma capitellate and papillose. 

 Serry ovoid, abouL i: cm. long and 1 cm. in diameter, surroiinded 

 at the base by a flat, salver-shaped cupula. 



Although growing preferently in the forest, this tree is 

 often foUiid in isolated individuals in the savannas and pas- 

 tures. In this case, the trunk is low and seldom erect, and 

 the crown depressed or elongate and more or less s^jreading. 

 3ut when it ^.-rows in the forest, the apj^earance oi the Occtea 

 is very distinct, the trunk becoming a long and clean shaft, 

 surmounted by a scant crown, xhe bark is aromatic v/ith a 

 cinnamon-odor. 



Description of the ;Vood 



Sapwood thick, pale yellowish; heartwood very dark brown 

 resembling walnut wood in general appearance. .Vood hard, mo- 

 derately heavy, tough, cross- and very close-grained, durable 

 and taking a very good polish. Annual rings of growth usual- 

 ly narrow and visible only under high power microscope. 



Vessels (transverse section) very numerous and small ,^ 

 (.07 mm. in diameter), round or radially flattened when 1% 

 rows, open in sapwood, generally closed in heartwood, and 

 arranged singly or more often in radial rows of from 2 to 6 

 or more. Vessel walls (longitudinal section) with both simple 

 and bordered pits and sometimes large elliptically elongated 

 (transversely) pita resembling scalariform markings on radial 

 side. 2nd v/alls of vessel segments nearly horizontal and 

 simple. >/ood fibers about 1.256 mm. long, v/ith septate, mo- 

 derately thick walls, small cavities, and few oblique simple 

 pits. iVood-i-grenchyma fibers scantily developed and cccuring 



filaments of the anthers are more or less barbate. In the 

 leaves, which are thinner and smaller, the costa is pubescent 

 and even hairy, lievertheless, the specimens agree tolerably 

 with ray 2iJ37, the flowers of which are almost all immature. H.P, 



