The pala roots are short, thick, and fleshy. They originate 

 with reference to the stele circles in the stem. The central cyl- 

 inder of the root has several alternating groups of xylem and 

 phloem. Tannin sacs are abundantly developed in the roots, 

 as well as in other parts of the plant. 



The pala foliage is stately and somber. The leaves are few in 

 number (5-150), spirally arranged, and with close-set bases. 

 The young leaves are enclosed in the prominent stipules; the 

 leaves are circinate, and slowly unfurl in the typical fern manner. 

 The leaves develop very slowly, — a period of 3 to 6 months being 

 required for the unfurling of a single leaf. Indeed, all of the 

 vital functions of the pala, like those of other rain forest plants, 

 are very sluggish. 



The petioles are 3 to 5 feet long, stout, smooth, and shining. 

 At the base they are conspicuously swollen, articulate, and 2.5-3 

 ins. in diameter. The "mule's-foot" base, with its two large, 

 fleshy, auricular stipules, has already been described. Lenticel- 

 like structures are of common occurrence on the older leaf-bases. 

 They arise beneath the stomata, and form small cavities, the 

 peripheral cells of which become detached and dried up. Large 

 mucilage ducts and numerous tannin sacs are developed in the 

 petioles of the older leaves. 



The leaf-blade is 3 to 8 ft. long, deltoid or ovate-oblong, and 

 2-3-pinnate. The base is 3-pinnate; there is a terminal pinnule. 

 The blade is a characteristic dark green, smooth, glossy, and not- 

 ably fleshy. The color and texture are quite distinctive. A 

 cross-section of leaf reveals a thick layer of collenchymous 

 hypodermal tissue. 



The pinnae are oblong-lanceolate. The lowest pinnae are 6- 

 24 in. long, on stalks of .5-2.5 in. The upper portion of the 

 rachis is narrowly margined or winged. The secondary pinnae 

 are linear, 3-6 in. long, with a broadly compressed or winged 

 rachis. The ultimate pinnules are substipitate, ovate or ob- 

 long, .5-1 ins. long by .25-. 30 in. wide, and bluntly serrate. The 

 apex is obtuse or acuminate; the base is cuneate or subtruncate. 

 The veins are simple or dichotomously forked. 



All the leaves are sporc-beaiing or potentially so. The spor- 



