April 1908.J 



303 



Saps and Exudations. 



long stick placed upright in the ground 

 so as to form attractive perches on which 

 small birds may be likely to settle and 

 are held fast by the sticky gum. 



Away from the coast in the lower forest 

 region S. Aucuparium does not seem to 

 be nearly so plentiful or at any rate so 

 widely distributed as S. Jenmani. Dur- 

 ing the three months spent by Mr. 

 Beckett in the North-West District 

 collecting Sapium seedlings and samples 

 of rubber, he came across no trees which 

 appeared to him to belong to this species, 

 although he found plenty of S. Jenmani. 



Prom the evidence, I am inclined to 

 think that 8. Jenmani is limited to the 

 forests, while S, aucuparium is almost 

 peculiar to the coast region. 



Sapium Paucinervum, Hemsl. 



This is another species first discovered 

 by Mr. Jenman, in March, 1886, occurring 

 on the Pomeroon River above Macca- 

 seema. Unfortunately only fruiting 

 specimens were found, and the description 

 of the plant was based upon these. In 

 March of the present year, Mr Ward, 

 Agricultural Superintendent, brought 

 back some specimens of a Sapium in 

 fruit from the Camaria Road which were 

 found to belong to the same species. 

 Some leaves gathered by Mr. Beckett in 

 the North-West District as well as some I 

 obtained from some young saplings grow- 

 ing on the Hooboo Hills at the back of 

 Mr. D. Young's grant also appear to be S. 

 paucinervum. So that this species seems 

 to be somewhat widely distributed 

 through the forest region, but a more 

 careful search is required to ascertain 

 whether it is plentiful or not. The flower- 

 ing stage is still unknown. S. pauciner- 

 vum is easily distinguished from the two 

 species already described by the charac- 

 ters of the leaves apart from the fruits. 



It differs from both of them by the 

 fewness of the lateral veins springing 

 from the midribs, of which there are 

 seldom more than ten pairs, except in 

 the leaves from young plants. 



The apex of the leaf ends in a long 

 blunt point as in 6*. Jenmani, and is not 

 hooked. The two glands at the base of 

 the leaf are long and curved, and the 

 basal part is narrowed into a stalk. 

 Sometimes these glands, instead of being 

 at the junction of the blade and the leaf- 

 stalk are placed rather higher up, so 

 that they spring from the base of the 

 blade itself, and in the dried specimens 

 appear to be situated on the under-side 

 of the leaf. The fruits of pauciner- 

 vum show three well-marked divisions 

 as in S- aucuparium, but they are smaller, 

 measuring when ripe | inch across, and 

 the three seeds in each fruit are also 



smaller and rounder not exceeding f » 

 inch in diameter. 



They are usually covered by a thin 

 bright red pulp or aril except for one 

 smooth, shiny, rounded spot on the 

 outer side of each seed. When the aril 

 is rubbed off, the black seed-coat beneath 

 is slightly rough but not tuberculated 

 or warted. 



Mr. Jenman appends a note to the 

 herbarium specimens of this plant, to 

 the effect that it is associated by the 

 Indians with the real Touchpong (tj. Jen- 

 mani). 



The following table shows clearly the 

 characters I have described, and will 

 prove of assistance in discriminating 

 between the different species by means 

 of the leaves or fruit alone, or both 

 combined :— 





LEAVES. 









Glands 

 at base. 



Princi- 

 pal 

 lateral 

 veins. 



Apex 



of 

 leaf. 



FRUIT 



SEED. 



S. Aucuparium, 

 Jacq. 



Long and 

 thick 



through- 

 out. 



More 

 than 10 

 pairs. 



Bent 

 over 

 to form 

 a 



hooked 

 gland. 



Shows 

 clearly 

 3 divi- 

 sions 

 nearly 



%" 

 diame- 

 ter. 



Outside 

 covered 



with 

 warts or 

 tuber- 

 cles, 54" 

 diame- 

 ter. 



S. Jenmani, 

 Hemsl. 



Small 

 and 

 wart-like. 



Usually 

 more 



than 10 

 pairs. 



Long, 

 straight 

 and 

 blunt. 



Not 

 divided 



into 

 three, 

 about 



H" 



diame- 

 ter. 



Outside 

 finely 



warted, 

 3/16" 



diame- 

 ter. 



S. Paucinervum, 

 Hemsl. 



Long, 

 curved 



and 

 situated 

 on a stalk. 



Usually 



less 

 than 10 

 pairs. 



Do. 



Shows 

 clearly 

 3 divi- 

 sions, 

 -bout 

 H" 

 diame- 

 ter. 



Outside 



only 

 slightly 



rough, 

 3-16" 



diam. 



In endeavouring to identify the dif- 

 erent species of Sapium, leaves should 

 always be obtained, if possible, from 

 branches which bear fruit or flowers, 

 or at any rate from branches as high up 

 on the trees as one can reach. I have 

 already pointed out that young saplings 

 of S. aucuparium are wanting in the 

 characteristic hooked gland at the apex 

 of the leaf. Also the leaves of young 

 plants of S, paucinervum or those found 

 on sterile shoots usually possess more 

 than ten pairs of lateral veins, although 

 they show plainly the long, curved, 

 stalked glands of this species. 



RUBBER FROM SAP1UAIS. 



Unfortunately not much is at present 

 definitely known about the most im- 

 portant thing in connection with the 



* 



