272 



Pomona College 



Journal of Economic Botany 



GAUSSIA H. Wendl. 



H. Wendl., in Gottinger Nachriclitcn, 1856, p. 327; Bt-nth. ft Hook. Gen. pi. 

 Ill, p. 912. Aeria O. F. Cook in Bull. Torrey bot. Club, 1901, P- 5i7. 



Gaussia princeps* H. Wendl. 1. c. ; Griseb. Cat. pi. Cub. p. 221 (W'r. 3224) ; 

 Sauvalle, Fl. Cub. n. 2383; G. Maza, Nociones etc. (1893) p. 50; G. 

 splendens Becc. in .\nn. Roy. Rot. Gard. Calcutta, v. XII, I, p. 0. 



Gaussia princeps is not apparently a tall plant; the stem is rather stout, more 

 or less inclining or bent at its base, and then ascendent and columnar; it has a 

 smooth surface marked by very approximate ring-like scars, almost obsolete in 

 the basal, but sufficiently distinct in the upper j)art of the trunk. The base of 

 the trunk is raised from the ground by a very remarkable dense mass of roots, 

 thickish, cylindrical, frequently dichotoniically divided, covered by very small 

 jirickly warts, and, on the whole, similar to the wrial roots of a Pandanus. Here 

 it is quite plain that the last formed roots are the more external, they are placed 

 above all the others, and have of course made their way through the outer bark- 

 like cylinder, apj)earing higher up on the stem, as this becomes older. This 

 facility of producing epigeous roots in these jjalms is no doubt due to the great 

 amount of aqueous vapour resting on the summit of the highest mountains, 

 whereon they, too, find their proper home. 



The leaves are also very remarkable; they are regularly pinnate, and 

 have numerous very approximate leaflets, which are spreading almost horizontal ; 

 and are not arranged exactly on one plane, but ])oint in different directions some- 

 what, and are furnished at their bases with a very conspicuous cushion-like 

 swelling or callus. In the dry specimens this callus is much reduced and shriv- 

 elled, but in the fresh state it is certainly much swollen, and is probably fleshy. 

 Several palms have leaflets with an axillary callus, but in none have I seen one 

 so large as in Gaussia. 



The leaflets are paj)ery, ensiform, quite straight, open flat (not folded length- 

 wise), attached to the rachis by a broad base, where they are very suddenly con- 

 tracted, and have the margins very briefly reduplicate, otherwise they have 

 parallel margins a long way u]), arc gradually but excentrically acuminate above 

 and, at times, are slightly indented a little below the apex; both surfaces are 

 almost equally green, and very finely and sharply striately veined by secondary 

 and tertiary nerves; the secondary nerves (5-6 on each side of the mid-costa) 

 being only slightly stronger than several others; the mid-costa is rather 

 strong, prominent and quite smooth on the lower surface, but is superficial and 

 narrow in the upper, and towards the apex broadens and flattens considerably in 

 a peculiar way; the margins are slightly and narrowly thickened and polished; 

 there are no transverse veinlets visible; the intermediate leaflets are 50-55 cm. 

 long and 2.5 cm. broad; the upper leaflets are shorter and narrower, more suddenly 

 acuminate, briefly and often also obsoletely bidentate. The petiole is elongate 



*While he lived in Cuba, Prof. Baker made an extensive introduction of this 

 line palm to horticulture, through Dr. Franceschi and others. 



