77 



NOTE 8 ON INTERESTING CONTRIBUTIONS. 



Parmentiera cereifera, Seem. " Candle Tree." Plants of this 

 interesting tree have been received from Mr. E. Campbell, < urator of 

 the Botanic Station in British Honduras. 



On the Isthmus of Panama this tree, according to the Treasury of 

 Botany, is called the Candle Tree or Palo de Velas, because its fruits, 

 often 4 feet long, have the appearance of yellow wax-candles suspended 

 from the stems and older branches of the trees. " The fruits have a 

 peculiar apple-like smell which communicates itself in some degree to 

 the cattle fattened with them, but which disappear? if a few days pre- 

 vious to killing, the food is changed.'' There are two other species, 

 natives of Mexico, the fruits of which are also edible. Parmentiera is 

 nearly allied to the genus Jacaranda, which is so ornamental on account 

 of its bunches of blue or violet coloured flowers and finely divided leaves, 

 natives of South America. Both belong to the family Bignoniacoffi. 

 The flowers of Parmentiera have a corolla which is almost bell->haped 

 and of a white or greenish colour. 



The genus is named after the French botanist Aug. Parmentier 

 who did so much for economic botany. 



Mr. Campbell also sent plants of : — 



Cochlospermum hibiscoides. Kunth, a native of Mexico, a tree 

 with large yellow flowers. The generic name refers to the shell-like 

 form of the seeds; and the specific name, meaning hihiseu--like, refers 

 to the shape of the flower. It is nearly allied to the Annotto shrub, 

 both belonging to the family Bixineae. There i- a coloured plate in 

 Biologia Centrali-Americana. 



Pextapetes phcenicea, Linn, a native ot the East Indies. This 

 is an annual growing from two to five feet high, with large red flower? 

 which open at noon, and close at the following dawn, h belongs to the 

 same family as Kola and Cocoa, — Sterculiaceae. 



Hirtella dodecandra, DC, a native of Mexico, belonging to the 

 same genus as a native Jamaica tree, H. triandra, Sw., and nearlv allied 

 to the Coco-Plum. Family — Rosaceae. 



Palms and other plants, natives of Honduras, were also received. 



Socratea exorrhiza, H. Wendl. Seeds received from Dr. 

 Morris. 



Dr. A. R. Wallace, in his " Palms of the Amazon." describes this 

 palm as " curious and beautiful." 



" It reaches fifty or sixty feet in height, with the stem moderately 

 thick and very smooth, there being scarcely any rings or scars left by 

 the fallen leaves. 



The leaves are large and pinnate, with the leaflets triangular and 

 vary deeply notched, standing out at different angles with the midrib. 

 The leaves curve over gracefully, and the character and aspect of the 

 foliage is very different from that of most other palms. The column 



