120 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [august 



of younger plants, suggesting the geophilous habit of some of the 

 Zamias. The plant shown in fig. g was imbedded to within 3.75^^ 

 of the top of the stem. This plant is g . 5^"" in diameter and is doubt- 

 less a good many years old^ though relatively young. The geophilous 

 habit is relatively temporary. As the plant becomes older its stem 

 elongates, and at one period in this advance {fig. 7) the whole plant 

 bears a marked resemblance to Cycas revohita. The continued 

 elongation of the stem results, at least in the case of those specimens 

 that grow surrounded by taller plants of other species, in producing 

 stems several meters in height {figs. 2, j, 4, 6), the specimen at the 

 right in fig. 4 (showing neither base nor crown) being 9.5"^ in length. 

 The plants shown in figs, i and j are doubtless the oldest plants 

 observed. Both of these grow in the open and it seems not unlikely 

 that they were once much taller than now, that they w^ere injured by 

 winds or otherwise, and that the branches now bearing leaves origi- 

 nated from dormant buds relatively late in the history of these individ- 

 ual plants- Evidence favoring such an interpretation is found in 

 the facts that the terminal bud region of both these plants, and all 

 similar ones observed, is injured and partially decayed; that the 

 central starchy pith region of Microcycas is extremely brittle and 

 would be easily broken if exposed to very heavy winds; and that 

 many cases were obsen^d of new branches arising from the surface 

 of the plant body. One case was observ^ed in w^hich the young 

 branch formed roots which penetrated the main body of the parent 

 plant- Specimens of younger plants were found in the open, in 

 which there was a single terminal crown of leaves, but none nearly 

 SO old as those shown in figs, i and j. It may be that, if undisturbed, 

 these would develop stems as old and thick and not attain greater 

 height; but this does not seem probable- 



The stem may be straight and unbranched {figs. 2, 8), or it may 

 branch in a number of ways. In fig. 4 is shown a group of four plants 

 which arise from the stump of an older one. The decayed remains 

 of the old stump, though not evident in the photograph, were observed, 

 and showed clearly that the branches arose from the old stump below 

 the surface of the ground. Other illustrations of branching are shown 

 in figs. J, 3, 4, 6. 



Upon the surface of the stem of all younger plants, as well as upon 



