103 



21ie ^raiiaUe-Leaved Lafoensia 



Lafcensia ponicifolia D.G., ll6:a, 3oc. phys , (Jeneve 3, 2:86, 



t. 1. 182G. 



Description of the tree 



A tree, up to 15 ;n. hi^h.the trunk: straight, oovered v/ith 

 a dark bro'^vn colored "bark, the cro'.vn ^ei^ branched, the branch- 

 lets more cr less erect. /Leaves coriaceous, glabrous, Zne 

 petioles 3 to 6 mm, long-, the blades lanceolate v">r soaetimes 

 ovate, obtusely acuminate, 3 to 3 cm. long, 1 to 2,5 cm, 

 broad, lustrous above, paler beneath, the costa and veins 

 dark colored and prominent. Inflorescence sabpaniculate, ter- 

 minal, few-f lo'jvered; pedicels thick, 2 to 3,5 cm. long; flcvers 

 12 to 16-merous, first greenish, then purplish yellow; calyx 

 broadly campanulate, 2,5 to 3 cm, long and 2 cm, in dianeter; 

 petals cbovate cr spatulate, 3 to 3,5 cm, long; stamens nume- 

 rous, the filaments curled up, the anthers dorsifix and ver- 

 satile; style 12 to 14 cm, long. Capsule ovoid, apiculate, 

 about 3 cm. long and 2 cm, in diameter, dehiscent, 1-celled; 

 seeds numerous. 



The leaves of this tree present an interesting peculia- 

 rity in the presence of the lower face of the acu.nen of a 

 pore corresponding to a cavity in the thickened end of the 

 main nerve, iio e;i^.lanatiun seCiUS to have been given as yet 

 as to the function of this organ, but it seems reasonable to 

 Cv;nsider it as a for.-a of hydathtde. 



Descrij^tiun of the v;ood 



Sapv/ood usually thick, light or pale yello//; heartv/cod 

 slightly darker, ,7ood rather hard, heavy, strong, tough, 

 usually straight and very fine-grained, susceptible of a very 

 fine polish, and moderately durable in contact -.vith the soil. 

 The annual rings of grcv/th visible under hand lens. 



Pores (transverse section) very numerous, small (.1 mm, 

 in diameter), radially elongated, open both in the sapwood 



and heartwi^od, and arranged singly or more often in radial 



