Leopoldinia.] EQUAXoraAL-AArEiiiCAN palms. 125 



The fruits arc perhaps unique among Pahus in being much com- 

 pressed laterally — so much so mL. ptdcJwa as to be scarcely half 

 so thick as broad. The epicarp in all the species is of a dull red 

 colour. The fleshy mesocarp of L, pitlchra and major has the 

 disagreeable bitter flavour of the fruit of Iriartea exorrliiza ; but 

 in L. Piassaha it is sweet and edible. 



In my account of i. Piassaha in the Linnean Society's Journal, I 

 followed Martius in describing the fruit oi Leopoldinia as a "berry," 

 and the endocarp as a sarcocarp ; but renewed examination has 

 convinced me that the thick inner envelope, consisting of several 

 layers of interwoven horny or woody fibres, is a true endocarp, 

 corresponding in structure to the endocarp o^ Astrocaryttm^ &c., 

 except that the interstices of the layers and fibres are open, not 

 closed with woody matter as in other palm-drupes 5 while between 

 the endocarp and the cuticle there is a true fleshy mesocarp (sar- 

 cocarp) like that of many other palm-fruits which have, or not, a 

 distinct endocarp. A further proof of its being truly an endo- 

 carp IS in the presence of a large foramen near the base, over the 

 embryo, loosely stuffed with cottony matter *. 



1. L.MAJOR, TFallace, Palms of the AmazoUy pi. 5: caudicibus plu- 



ribus ex eodem rhizomate ortis, secus apicem vagims petiolonnn 

 reticulatis persistentibus circumtextis ; foliis vix 5-pedalibus jcqua- 

 liter pimiatis, pinnis sub-SS-jugis lineari-lanceolatis acuminatis 

 pendulis ; spadicibus sesquipedalibus ter divisis dense ferrugineo- 

 tomentosis j bracteolis margine nudis ; pistUlo sterili florum d* sub- 

 intcgro ; drupis subrotundis insigniter compressis. 



Jlab, in ripis, etiam in insulis inimdatis fluviorum Negro, Pacimoni, 

 Vasiva et Atabapo, ubi gregarie crescit {Wall loc, cit ; S. Jib. Palm, 

 24), Jar-dqu Brasiliensium dicta. 



Palma muticaulis, caudicibus usque ad 24 ex unico rhizomate ortis, 15- 

 20-pedalibus^ diametro 3-pollicari, erectis, rarius arcuatis recumbeuli- 

 busvO; secus apicem petiolormn vaginis reticulatis fragilibus obvelatis, 

 inferne nudis, crebre annul atis. 



Folia 4-5-pedalia arcuato-patula pinnata ; petiolus 14-pollicari3 com- 

 pressus anceps, basi vaginatus, vagina opere retifomii constante ; 

 rhachis fere 3|-pedali3, subtus convcxa, squamulis laciniatis deciduis 



plus minus lepidota; 7^^'/^;^(« sub-28-j uga;, a^quidistantes, altema? v. 

 subopposita}, srepius fere exacte pendula), lineari-lanceolataj sensim 

 acuminata?, 3-5-plicata}, apice insequaliter bifida); basi reduplicatai et 

 tuberculo axillari auctne, inferiores angustioreS; mediaj 18xl-polli- 

 cares, apicales multo brcviores. 



So Martius : " flbris , . . . . juitii bariim deficientibus et foramen magiuuu 

 massa fibrose- struppca obturatutn forniantibus/* 



