Gums, Resins, 



388 



[November, 1911. 



mani at Bonasika. The experiments 

 were not complete, but the result showed 

 that the planting of Sapium could not 

 be recommended if Para rubber was 

 available." 



But apart from these considerations, 

 mention of a few of the characteristics 

 of the plant may not be out of place at 

 this juncture, when every tongue runs 

 riot with the name of rubber. 



All Sapium leaves bear the distinct 

 character of two glands on the petiole 

 or leaf stalk ; in some cases they are 

 very conspicuous, being of considerable 

 length, whilst, in other cases, they are 

 just barely indicated to the naked eye. 

 The margins of the leaves are, some 

 varieties, serrated, and, in others, 

 smooth, with a gland or two of some 

 prominence. On good authority the 

 writer is informed that both the 

 serrated and smooth margins are to be 

 found on leaves of the same tree. 



The flowers are very small and are 

 grown on long spikes, the females being 

 at the bottom and the males at the top, 

 the latter generally being also produced 

 in larger numbers than the former. 

 The fruit consists of a small capsule or 

 seed case, not conspicuous at all, and 

 each capsule generally contains three 

 divisions, and, when ripe, splits open, 

 when the seed itself is disclosed, which 

 upon examination is shown to possess a 

 bright arillode, which, in all probability, 

 proves an attraction to birds, insects 

 and rodents. The small size of these 

 seeds is responsible for the idea that 

 used to prevail amongst the Indians 

 that the tree never produced seed at 

 any time. That there is a considerable 

 variety in shape and size of the leaf can 

 be seen by a glance, and this variability 

 appears to be governed apart from 

 distinction of species, by the age of the 

 tree, the position of the leaves and 

 other conditions. A prominent charac- 

 teristic of one species of Sapium is a 

 distinct hooked gland at the apex of the 

 leaf, but this distinction is said not to 

 be confined to the species indigenous to 

 tnis Colony alone, as it is found in many 

 species not indigenous to British Guiana. 

 This tree is known to us generally as 

 Sapium aucupanum, but according to 

 Mori. Huber is referred to as Sapium 

 Helmsleyanum. Of this variety Mr. 

 A. W. Bartlett writes: "The leaves 

 show very considerable variety as to 

 size and shape both in those occurring 

 in different parts of the same tree, 

 at different ages of the plant and on 

 different individuals." This may be said 

 with accuracy in relation to other species 

 of Sapium. He continues : " Thus the 

 leaves on the lowermost branches of 



some of the trees are destitute of the 

 hooked apex and end in a long blunt 

 point as in S. Jenmani. Also the leaves 

 of the young plants and of saplings 

 even measuring 15 to 20 feet are invari- 

 ably wanting in the characteristic 

 feature." It is obviously, therefore, a 

 risky proceeding to attempt to identify 

 any Sapium by examining a few leaves 

 only. 



It is generally taken as an accepted 

 fact that most of the Sapiums of the 

 coast region yield no rubber, but only 

 an inferior quality of resinous latex, yet 

 on the islands at the mouth of the 

 Essequebo river, such as Liberty Island, 

 Fort Island, etc., Sapiums are to be 

 found freely growing " wild," and they 

 do yield rubber, which is said to be 

 equal to that obtained from the Sapiums 

 of the interior. Furthermore, the name 

 Sapium Jenmani appears to have been 

 applied somewhat hastily to all rubber- 

 yielding Sapiums. The Sapiums grow- 

 ing in these Essequibo islands may not 

 be Jenmani at all, but probably will 

 have to, in their turn, undergo the 

 " martyrdom of christening." As to the 

 other indigenous species, Sapium big- 

 landulosum is a coast lover, and yields 

 no rubber, while S. paucinervum is found 

 to occur in the Pomeroon and in the 

 North- Western District as well as other 

 portions of the colony, and also in all 

 probability furnishes nothing but an 

 inferior resinous, sticky substance, of 

 no value whatever. 



£?. Helmsleyanum, to give the so-called 

 S. aucuparium, the name to which M. 

 Huber has referred it,is distributed wide- 

 ly throughout the Colony, and proves 

 very attractive to boys, for it is chiefly 

 to this tree, though other species yielding 

 resinous products are also utilised, that 

 they have resource when they wish to 

 snare birds. Usually the tree is hacked, 

 and as the latex gushes out it is caught 

 on a stick to which has been rolled 

 portions of bread crumbs, moistened 

 with a liberal supply of saliva. The 

 whole is then smeared over the stick 

 and the snare set " at right angles " to a 

 long bamboo pole which is stuck in the 

 middle of a pasture or other likely spot. 

 So effective is this snare that frequently 

 the active and sturdy vicious little 

 parroquet, known locally as the Keri- 

 Keri, is firmly entrapped by this 

 adhesive mixture, when it has alighted 

 on one of the numerous perches jutting 

 from a bamboo stem. 



As to the identity of the tree, a foot- 

 note by Mr. Bartlett, in a paper of his on 

 our local rubber trees, throws consider- 

 able light. 



