Untitled - The Alfred Russel Wallace Website

400
NOTES OF A BOTANIST
" Prodromus," viz. Physocladu, is characterised by
" rami sub foliis congesto-verticillatis inllati 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 cle formiga).
C. formicarum, Hoffmans, and C. callococca, Aubl.,
are supposed to be synonyms of C. nodosa.
Cordia gerascantha, Jacq., differs from the PhysocladiL'
in the structure ot 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
j
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 Cordiaj have fascicled or
\vhorled branches, and are beset (not often densely)
with long coarse hairs arising from tubercles, much
as in the Amaiona and the Melastomacea: above
described but of the numerous other Cordia' I
;
have gathered, with vague ramification and oltrn
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 IOML;
enough to make the character permanent in any
species
I have met with.