, 1866-11-17
THE TEGETATI On OF ERAZILA:
Lecture by Professor AEnssIz-

From tie Boston Advertiser, November III
Professor Agussiz began his seventh lee
ture before the Lowell Institute last evening,
BY concluding what he had to say about tic
palm family. In examining the ground Of
the diversity Of the palms, he said he had
leaves The result Of tho Investigation OF
this arrangement WIS the discovery that the
leaves occupy Us much space US Posstples
and thereby get as much OF the surrounding
tain. In order to express this ARRANGEMENT.
method bad been devised, suggesting the
whole law. The Professor applied the terms
two-1caved, th1ec-leayed, and so on, to the
different varieties, and said that in the first
named each leaf occupied half the circum-$
ference Of the tree, the second leaf being op-
posite, an{l higher than the first, and the
third higher still and directly abore tue first,
aud this arrangement continuing upward to
the crown. IN the three-leaveI trees, each
leaf occuuies onc-third Of the circumference,
the fourth Icing directly above the first, and
the seventh above the fourth. The arrange
ments Of the other varieties are but appEo3}-
nations to these. In some Of them the leaw
tions, and consequently present that NUN ~
ofreeular foliaceous columns. Some OF zee
varieties, as for instance the eisht>teaSed
palm, drop their old leaves as fast Us new
ones are formed, so that but one circle OF
leaves remains upon the tree at the same
Professor Agasstz said he had entered into
these details because they would hereafter be
Of great ipportsnse in TIE M study Of tossil
silife1ous deposits. H. next described the
palms with compound Leaves. divided into
blades or leaflets. In speaking Of the beau
~ Of these different varieties. he remarked
that he could not help thinking. when look
ing upon the twenty leaTed PALM that if ar
chltecture had first been developed in Bra
| zll, wc should have had, not The Corinthian
and Gothic orders, hut somethin:. in which
| palm vegetation would have Impressed on
| The mind the beauty Of nature, which is so
| impressive everywhere.
Considering next what arc the features
/ which bind the palms us one family, Pro-
fessor Agassi. said their trunks were not
marked b. vertical rings, showing successive
maple and other trees bat each stem WAS
composed Of fbrcs rising in the centre, aud
diycEgin- toward the exterior, thus Ecsem-
bling in structure the plants of tho hrinh1cr
Al palms might b. divided into two groups.
those having fau-shared leaves. and those
having pinnate or teathcr-shaptd leaves. /:
had been his study to ascertain which Ut
these was the lower ane wa;ya
the leaves first terminating wrre
: fan.sharpcd, and that the Youngest
palms bore Gn-shaped leaves. and c;snsider-
ing that the younger palm Is interior 10 the
adult, he had no doubt that the fAn-leayed
| palms were the lower order, and wcrv the
: first to appear on the Garth. This was an
important fact to he known in the inyc>ti,a-
? tion Of fossils, and in com!ssrin, the cinbsv-
onic with tile latter conditions.
; Passing now to other families Of ptonts,
! Professor Agassiz said there were Other rep
Tcstntatfyes quite as abundant is the Palms.
l One of the most surprisin. features ,:s tll.:
: vegetation we're tue luuumcrahle orehiae,
growing as Parasites. upon o'hcr plants.
!, iwinius arouud them, az hanging
! @ ors. S.xt akin to tllese we
: The various species of the banana family.
: OF plants allied to our own trees there r.rc
t none. There Was not q single representa-
II tive Of the catkin family, except small
+ willow growing in the mud tl.ts Of t!:t AN.-
! aznn. OF the herbaccous plants found in uag
u 1atitu.ic, such as the ranunc1l1s and The
) mustard plant, there were no represents
II tiyes. The pepper family had numerous
representatives, some growing to stately
y trees. There were also numerous tErcs vi
It The genus laurus, suell Is s1ssaiE.s. tm
II phor and cinnamon If the R7azilianS had
d enterprise, they would surrlant the East II
l. aromatic plapt cultivation.
,e The professor aow called attention to- yc.-'
D. peculiar feature Of Brazilian vegetation
c. namely the stately forms Of plants wiki!
l. with us arc but humble plants. Thee a1ss
lc haye marvclous diversity Of foliage All.
ar have diversity of which our plants give II
er no idea. Another peculiar feature Is t!:s
" plants widely differing from our own llav
1e uses similar to those Of other families ut til
il North, bearing fruits resembling nuts, r:a
% and p1ums Of Northern growth. There
H. also m extraordinary diversity of tisntc
!; and wood suitable for cabinet work; but II,
+, BEazilians make 60 little use Of 1t that muc
'e Of it Is unknown. Professor A.assiz sal
. that be bad seen in a local exhibition At Par
I. ono hundred and seventeen varieties OF vail
= able woods, gathered from tract Of lau
O. but half a mile square. Yet there were Il
:, sawmills there, and boards were made. b
+. hewing trees down to the requisite thicl
on ness. He hoped the time was not far di
t. tant when the Maine lualhcrmen would lin
I'd profitable employment there, and our nav
b, would have the advantage Of the valuah
timber growing there in such prosnsion. D
lc- licious fruits also abound, compared wlt
II which the tropical fruits which reach Il
ct. North are but as refuse. There i also yrc
=, wealth OF medicinal plants aud dYcwood
le- OF these sources of profit Professor Aga>s
said he trusted our people would take a
, vantage US soon as the Amazon should
L. IN f,rotI7 1Cu