formation of the resin was observed to be peculiar, nor could 

 references to a similar method be found in such literature as 

 it was possible to consult. 



Since the points raised are of some interest, the pre- 

 liminary results are presented here. It is hoped at a later 

 date to publish more fully upon these and other points of 

 morphological interest concerning the genus. 



External Appearance of the Plant. 

 The plant of X. quadrangulata examined was a compara- 

 tively small specimen with a stem some 24 cm. high. As 

 will be seen from pi. i., fig. 1, numerous adventitious roots 

 arose from the base of the stem ; above them, in the 

 portion of the stem buried in the ground, the external 

 covering for a height of some 4-6 cm. was an 

 apparently homogeneous layer of resin, about 1 cm. 

 thick, the external diameter of the stem in this region 

 being 14'5 cm. Proceeding upwards the stem was 

 covered by closely-set leaf bases, the apices of which were 

 charred by fire ; these increased the external diameter to 

 some 22 cm. Still higher up the leaf bases bore the full 

 length of lamina of the wirelike form well known in this 

 species ; the laminas, however, were all dead and strongly 

 reflexed (they are cut off in pi. i., fig. 1). The crown of 

 functioning foliage was composed of a very large number of 

 leaves arranged in a dense spiral. In the centre of the crown 

 the leaves stood erect, shielding the younger ones at the 

 growing apex. Below they made an angle of 15° to 30° with 

 the perpendicular, falling outwards towards their apices in 

 a graceful curve. 



Macroscopic Structure of the Stem. 



The stem was cut with a saw into three transverse sec- 

 tions — one immediately above the roots, a second 4 cm. above 

 this (pi. ii., fig. 1); the third was some 5 cm. thick and 

 passed through the lower part of the region covered with leaf 

 bases (pi. ii., fig. 2). The remainder of the trunk was split 

 vertically as nearly as possible along a diameter (pi. i., fig. 2). 



The stem is seen (pi. i., fig. 2) to consist of a column of 

 ground tissue through which the vascular bundles to the 

 leaves run. The growing apex is slightly depressed. The 

 youngest leaves can be seen at the centre of the depression ; 

 passing outwards from this point they rapidly elongate till at 

 the shoulder of the depression they stand erect. Progress- 

 ing from this point downwards they gradually become hori- 

 zontal and finally strongly reflexed. Ultimately the distal 

 ends of the leaf bases take on a strong hyponastic curvature, 



