154 



FASCIATION IN EUCHARIS. 



The monstrosity known as fasciation, that is the junction of two 

 or more branches or flowers together, is perhaps the commonest 

 monstrosity in plants, but I have not seen one recorded for the 

 flowers of the Eucharis amazonica a specimen of which has just been 

 found in the Gardens. In this two flowers are intimately joined 

 together from the stalk upwards the stalk and ovaries are flattened 

 and quite connate as is the perianth tube as far as the petals of the 

 two flowers. Above this both flowers are free, though they are 

 pressed together so that the two inner petals are erect back to back, 

 A section of the ovaries shows that both are distinct though joined 

 .by their walls where they are in contact. — Ed. 



MASCARENHAISIA ELASTiCA. 



The India Rubber Journal of March 4, 19:1, devotes a page to an 

 .account of Mascarenhaisia elastica Schum, a rubber tree of East 

 Africa. It was discovered by Stuhlmann in 1898, and seed was 

 received in the Botanic Gardens in 1899, and has developed into a 

 low tree about 20 feet tall with a stem circumference of 19 inches. It 

 has constantly flowered and fruited willi us. The flowers are 

 described in the Journal as conspicuous an J frai; rant while here they 

 are quite small and white and certainly sweet scented. The branches 

 are rather strict and do not spread much. Tiie growth of the tree 

 seems very slow, and in the account quoted it does not seem to get 

 bigger than from 30 to 40 feet tall with a dia:neter of 12-18 inches. 

 A curious thing about it, also noticed in Buitenzorg by the botanists 

 there, is that young plants when cut exude a clear liquid and no latex • 

 and it is only when the tree is much older that any milky latex 

 appears. At the best of times it is by no means heavily laticiferous, 

 only a little exuding when cut. The bark is scaly outside but when 

 this is removed a smoother bark 54 ii"^ch thick is seen, which is easily 

 cut but even in its native haunts the latex exudes slowly. 



Analysis of the rubber are given in the Journal and show that 

 the rubber as analysed in the Imperial Institute gives from 69 to 90 

 per cent. Caoutchouc, with 4.5 to 7.6 per cent, resin. Most of the 

 samples contained a considerable amount of water, and vegetable 

 inpurities. The rubber was pronounced to be of good quality when 

 carefully collected. No statistics of return are obtainable but judging 

 from the slow growth of the trees and the small amount of latex 

 which exudes when cut, it is improbable that it would be worth 

 cultivating on a commercial scale anywhere. The rubber is known 

 as Mgoa, or Goa Rubber. 



