400 NOTES OF A BOTANIST 
" Prodromus," viz. Physoclada, is characterised by 
" rami sub foliis congesto-verticillatis infiati cavi," the 
hollow inflation being tenanted by ants, whence C. 
nodosa, the type-species of the group, is known to the 
South Americans as "Ant tree" (Pao de formiga). 
C. forinicartmi, Hoffmans, and C. callococca, Aubl, 
are supposed to be synonyms of C. nodosa. 
• • • • • • 
Cordia gerascantha, Jacq., differs from the Physo- 
cladse in the structure of its rather showy white 
flowers. It rises to a stoutish tree of 30 to 40 feet, 
and is throughout fasciculately branched (branches 
3-5-nate). At the point where the branches divide 
there is mostly a sac, inhabited by very vicious ants 
of the tribe called Tachi " by the Brazilians. The 
preceding species are usually tenanted by the small 
fire-ant, but sometimes by the Tachi. Probably 
the former was in all cases the original occupant, 
and the Tachi is an intruder. 
All these sacciferous Cordiae have fascicled or 
whorled branches, and are beset (not often densely) 
with long coarse hairs arising from tubercles, much 
as in the Amaiona and the Melastomacese above 
described ; but of the numerous other Cordiae I 
have gathered, with vague ramification and often 
short soft pubescence, not one was seen with 
saccate branches, or any other structure serving as 
a permanent residence to ants. 
Some of the aromatic shrubby Crotons, with 
trichotomous branches, have occasionally the branch- 
axils perforated by ants and swollen ; but the 
process does not seem to have been carried on long 
enough to make the character permanent in any 
species I have met with. 
