Am'oc°tu,r '^7h9arm' }     The  Botanical  Source  of  Araroba.  497 
cut  down  and  before  being  dried  is  of  a  light  or  pale  tint,  clearer  than 
that  of  the  wood.  The  medullary  centre  exhibits  a  canal  different  in 
appearance  from  the  lacunae,  having  a  diameter  much  more  considera- 
ble.   The  young  branches  are  entirely  fistulose. 
So  far  these  particulars  seem  to  correspond  exactly  with  the  state- 
ment of  Dr.  Rameiro  A.  Monteiro,  published  in  the  'Journal  de  Th6ra- 
peutique,  vol.  vi.,  p.  248. 1 
The  following  details,  however,  hare  not,  so  far  as  is  known,  been 
before  published  in  this  country. 
The  leaves  are  alternate,  compounded  and  paripinnate.  The  petiole 
in  two  specimens  which  were  measured  was  in  the  one  32  and  in  the 
other  44  centimetres  in  length,  having  a  variable  number  of  pairs  of 
stalked  leaflets,  in  one  specimen  20,  and  in  another  24.  The  leaflets 
are  alternate  and  articulated,  oblong,  obtuse,  entire  and  emarginate  at 
the  apex,  measuring  from  i\  to  \\  centimeters  in  length,  and  from  1 
to  1 J  centimeters  in  width.  The  distance  between  the  points  of  inser- 
tion of  the  leaflets  is  about  2  centimeters,  so  that  the  leaflets  only 
slightly  overlap  each  other. 
The  common  petiole  or  rachis  is  slender,  convex  on  the  under  sur- 
face, and  hollowed  above  into  a  small,  very  smooth  furrow  ;  the  secon- 
dary petioles  which  measure  about  half  a  centimeter  in  length  are 
accompanied  for  a  small  distance  by  the  rudiments  of  stipels.  The 
leaflets  are  feather-veined,  of  a  green  color  on  the  upper  surface  and  of 
an  ashy  hue  beneath.  The  inflorescence  is  centripetal,  consisting  of  a 
panicle  with  a  variable  number  of  racemes,  each  of  which  consists,  in 
the  more  luxuriant  specimens,  of  about  eight  flowers  or  flower  buds. 
The  flowers  are  shortly  stalked,  alternately  arranged,  and  are  each  fur- 
nished with  a  bract,  which  does  not  develop  at  the  same  date  as  the 
flower,  and  hence  the  lower  bracts  appear  smaller  than  the  upper  ones. 
The  common  peduncle  is  bare  of  flowers  at  the  base  for  about  a  third 
of  its  length.  The  flowers  are  purple,  papilionaceous,  measuring  2J  to 
3  centimeters  without  the  claw,  which  is  about  J  centimeter  long. 
The  calyx  is  gamosepalous,  2  centimeters  long,  covered  with  rusty- 
colored  hairs,  a  little  flattened  on  three  faces,  like  a  triangular  prism  with 
rounded  angles,  the  dorsal  angle  being  the  more  prominent  and  corres- 
ponding to  the  middle  of  the  standard.    The  calyx  is  five-toothed,  the 
lPharm.  Journ.  [3],  vol.  viii.,  p.  1048. 
