Shedding of Bothrodendron. 
229 
Relation of Bothrodendron punctatum to Bothrodendron 
MINUTIFOLIUM. 
In the paper by Renier ( 7 ) mentioned before, he states that Bothro¬ 
dendron punctatum and Bothrodendron minutifolium are in reality only one 
species—in fact, that he has found both types of surface-marking on the 
same specimen. In both, the leaf scars are practically the same, the 
difference between them being (a) the bark (which in minutifolium shows 
transverse furrows, while punctatum is said to be longitudinally marked), and 
(h) the fact that Bothrodendron punctatum has ulodendroid scars, while 
Bothrodendron minutifolium has none. 
Decidedly B. minutifolium shows transverse markings on the bark ; 
but whether the markings in B. punctatum are of the same nature or due to 
a splitting of the bark consequent on growth, as was suggested by Renier, 
I am unable to say from observations, but it does seem quite reasonable. 
As to the other point, (b), in many cases of ulodendroid Bothrodendrons 
the surface is not sufficiently well preserved for these furrows to be observed, 
and so it may be that many large stems bearing scars may have had either 
one kind of marking or the other, the presence of scars being the sole reason 
for their being called punctatum . 
In any case the two species are obviously closely allied, and it is quite 
probable that what happens in one species in such an important matter as 
branch-shedding will have its counterpart in the other. 
Therefore if Bothrodendron punctatum had ulodendroid scars it is 
at least probable that Bothrodendron minutifolium had also; hence the fact 
that the two new specimens here described are Bothrodendron minutifolium 
need be no serious argument against their being evidence in favour of the 
abscission layer theory of the ulodendroid scar. 
Summary. 
In the foregoing paper two new specimens of Bothrodendron minuti¬ 
folium are described—one showing branching of a type hitherto undescribed. 
It consists of the end of a main axis with opposite rows of alternate 
branches with trumpet-shaped bases. The cortex of the main stem is 
continuous with that of the branches, showing the branches to be attached 
in quite a normal way. These branches themselves show the ordinary 
bushy, spreading mass of small branches usual in known Bothrodendrons. 
It is equally clear that the other specimen is a similar though larger 
branch which has fallen away—its clean-cut, trumpet-shaped ending suggest¬ 
ing that it has broken away along a definite abscission layer. 
Though previously described Bothrodendrons in the ulodendroid 
condition have been attributed to Bothrodendron punctatum , the fact that 
