—— 
1884,] 475 [Branner. 
cases, if not always, so that what was originally the lower side of the 
frond is turned upwards, 
In a number of transections of a large, living and nearly grown palm 
stem, in those made near the base, it is found that the fibro-vascular bun- 
dles are all black, if black be the characteristic color of the mature bun- 
dles,* except a few in the centre. A section made anywhere below a cer- 
tain distance from the fronds would show the same general character as 
regards hardness and color. But on coming near the growing part the 
sections appear less and less colored, and above the fully-matured fronds 
they are all found to be colorless. Dissecting out these bundles in the 
phylophore we find that those already colored, or nearly so, connect with 
the lower or more mature fronds, while those connecting with the younger 
fronds are, for the most part, colorless ; and, when showing any color at 
all, it is only at the lower extremity of the division. We find, then, that 
there are uncolored bundles near the base of the trunk at the centre, and 
also all through the section near the top. I therefore place these facts 
against the theory of Mirbel, that the color of the bundles is due to age 
alone,} and also against that of Von Mohl, which is that color is:due to 
position alone. In regard to this coloring, the element of age is a neces- 
sary one when the division is considered longitudinally, for in this case 
the bundle is colored for a short distance at the upper end where it passes 
in to the centre, then follows a part in which it is comparatively uncol- 
ored, while the remainder, and larger part, is colored. But in considering 
a transection of a trunk with reference to the coloring of the bundles, 
position is the necessary element. This is because the lower extremities 
of the divisions begin to color and harden before any other parts, and, as 
has already been explained, these lower extremities lie next the surface of 
the stem. t 
Thec omplete hardening and coloring of the fibro-vascular bundle divis- 
ions does not take place until the frond or spadix, with which they are con- 
nected at their upper extremities, have fallen or died. Ags has already been 
mentioned, the bundle divisions begin to harden and color at their lower 
extremities before the frond or spadix dies, but not before it is unfolded 
and active. At the fall or death of the frond the hardening and color- 
ing are complete, and this marks the limit of growth of the division bun- 
dles originally connected with it. As far as these hard, colored bundles. 
*Some palms have the mature fibro-vascular bundles of a waxy color, such. 
as Oreodoxa, Huterpe and Geonoma; others have them of a deep, reddish-black,. 
like Mauritia; while the majority of them are black. Examples: Acrocomia,, 
Gutlielma, Astrocaryum, Bactris, ete., ete, 
t Ray Society, 1849, p, 82. 
{ The edible part of the “palmito” of Brazil and of the “ cabbage palm” of the 
‘West Indies, is the long phylophore in which all the fibro-vascular bundles are 
soft and colorless. 
¢I mention the falling or death of the frond because in some palms the fronds 
fall as soon as they die, while in others they cling to the trunk for a long time 
after death, Ex,: Acrocomia lasiospatha. 
