64 
the tree, so far as would appear from our photographs, can 
hardly be said to send down aerial roots which develop into 
prop-like supports after the usual manner of the red mangrove. 
The basal mass of roots and fluted trunk is more or less solid. 
The leaves of this mangrove are simple, unstalked, alternate 
(2/5 arrangement), oblong-lanceolate, broadest near the middle 
polished, dark green, and entire except for small glandular teeth 
that disappear with age. The only conspicuous veining is the 
midrib and this is sometimes obscure towards the obtuse apex 
of the leaf. The leaves are commonly 3-5 inches long and 1-1.75 
inches in greatest widt 
e flowers of re seeuitae tree are large and showy, slightly 
suggestive of those of certain magnolias, though rather less 
conspicuous. They are solitary in the axils of the leaves, are 
white or tinged with pink, and when fully expanded have a 
spread of four or five inches, the five long narrowly tongue-shaped 
petals radiating irregularly somewhat after the style of the arms 
of certain star-fishes. Reference to a photograph (Fic. 22) will 
give a better idea of the general appearance of the flower than 
any descriptive words can. It is not the purpose of this paper to 
give a detailed technical description of the tree and its parts 
but it may be of interest to state that the flower-bud is enveloped 
and subtended by two bracts (Fic. 22), which are narrower than 
the leaves but broader and a little longer than the petals and are 
rose-colored, coral-red, or crimson. The calyx, corolla, and 
stamineal whorl each consist of five free and ae alternating 
members. The externally crimson sepals are about three fourths 
of an inch long and are ovate in general outline but are strongly 
concave (Fic. 21), suggesting the shells of certain limpets; in the 
middle of the inner surface of each and occupying about one half 
of its area are numerous small vesicular pores or glands. The 
petals are usually light pink except for the prominent whitish 
midrib, though on certain trees, especially the older ones, they 
are nearly white. They are 2.5 inches long, linear or elongate- 
tongue-shaped from a somewhat expanded base, which is about 
0.6 of an inch wide, and they taper gradually to a blunt point. 
