( Para Rubber Tree) : Bud-Scales serving as Nectaries. 2 1 9 
proper time of the year to see if the young shoots of mature trees 
likewise possessed these nectariferous scales. Such was found to be 
the case. 
The foliage leaves of Hevea brasiliensis are not evenly distributed 
along the whole length of the shoot, but are crowded together on the 
upper portion. The stretch of stem, which in the mature shoot appears 
to be a long internode below the foliage leaves, is really composed of 
several, the nodes of which were occupied in the young state by the 
nectariferous scales. That is to say, the internodes between the upper 
nectariferous scales have increased considerably in length — this is especially 
well seen in saplings. The leaf is trifoliate with a long petiole. The 
leaflets are large and lanceolate in shape, and are joined to the apex 
of the petiole by very short stalks (Plate XVI. Fig. 3). As a rule the 
length of the petiole and the size of the leaflets of a shoot decrease from 
the base upwards. For example, the petiole and leaflet of the lowest 
leaf may have a length of 30 cm. and 23 cm. respectively ; whereas these 
measurements for the uppermost leaf may be only 3-5 cm. and 4*5 cm. 
respectively. The direction of the petioles is such that their laminas tend 
to be in one plane, and thus do not overshadow one another. The 
number of foliage leaves to a shoot varies, but is commonly twelve. 
They as well as the scales have a three-eighth arrangement on the 
stem-axis. 
The nectary of the foliage leaf is situated on the upper surface just 
at the point of union of the leaflets with the petiole (Fig. 3 n). It may 
consist of either three contiguous saucer-shaped glands, one corresponding 
to each leaflet, or of only two of these, as in the figure, or it may assume 
the form of an irregular depression due to their fusion. In any case, 
they are not prominent structures, and do not differ as a rule in colour 
from the surrounding surface. 
The bud-scales permit of division into two categories, viz. (1) the 
basal scales which are very small, non-nectariferous, and usually few in 
number ; (2) the upper scales which are conspicuous, nectariferous, and 
numerous. Both kinds of scales as well as the foliage leaves possess 
each a pair of insignificant stipules (Figs. 1 and 2 st). 
The basal non-nectariferous bud-scales. In the spirit material brought 
home for examination two types of young shoots could be distinguished, 
viz. those which had very few— one to three — non-nectariferous scales, 
and those possessing a great number, twenty or so. A drawing of each 
kind of shoot is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 respectively. A few shoots were 
intermediate in this respect, having several non-nectariferous scales, but 
not such an imbrication of them as represented in Fig. 2 s. No mention 
is made in my Ceylon notes of any large number of these basal scales 
having been noticed, but the shoots are referred to as possessing not 
