THE MARYLAND CYC ADS. 417 



meter ; organs constituting the armor proceeding at a right angle to the axis 

 except above, where they are ascending, and near the base, where the^^ are 

 sometimes shghtly descending; leaf scars arranged in two series of spiral 

 rows crossing each other usually at a different angle to the axis of the 

 trunk, the angle varying from 30° to 75°; scars usually subrhombic, i. e., 

 with the lateral angles nearly equal and the vertical ones unequal, the 

 lower more acute than the upper, the latter often reduced to a mere groove 

 or wanting entirely, and the two upper sides together forming an arch, 

 the whole scar simulating a drawn bow and bowstring, but sometimes 

 triangular, the upper sides joined along a horizontal line or more irregular 

 in shape, occasionally with four curved sides and four acute angles; the 

 width as represented by a line joining the two lateral angles varying 

 from 15 to 25 mm., and the height as represented by a line joining the two 

 vertical angles (which would rarely be parallel to the axis of the trunk) 

 varying from 6 to 15 mm.; remains of the petioles usually present in the 

 scars at different cUstances from the summit, often bearing evidence of 

 having been disarticulated at a natural joint, sometimes indicating the 

 existence of two such joints at different depths in the scars, and showing 

 that these joints consist of a diaphi^agm across the petiole which may 

 remain after the substance of the petiole has partly decayed below it, 

 leaving a hollow space, portions of the outermost diaphragms also some- 

 times adhering to the sides of the scars in the form of a ridge surrounding 

 them; vascular bundles rarely visible under an ordinary lens, but occa- 

 sionally seen in the form of a row near the outer margin all round the 

 leaf base with a few near the center; ramentum walls usually rather 

 thick, but varying from less than 1 mm. to 9 mm., ordinarily with a 

 more or less distinct line marking the junction of the parts belonging to 

 adjacent petioles (commissure), sometimes with a cUstinct plate or layer 

 of less compact tissue between these, occasionally but rarely affected 

 with pits or small bract scars, especially in the angles; reproductive 

 organs usually abundant, often soHd and protruding, generally more or 

 less distinctly marked in the center by the remains of the essential 

 organs and surrounded by bract scars in several concentric rows, but 

 often decayed in various degrees, leaving corresponding funnel-shaped 

 cavities, commonly elliptical in cross section, wider than high, very vari- 

 able in size, the major axis 15 to 40 mm. and the minor 10 to 30 mm.; 



MON XL VIII — 05 27 



