138 DR. E. SPKUCE ON [Eutevpe. 



pollicem lata, supra canaliculata^ svibtus obtuse carinata, secus apicem 

 tamen supra acute carinata subtus convexa, squamulis purpureis (ro- 



tundatis, quadratis, acuniinatisve) ciliatis sparsa; pinnae 45-jugse, 

 * semiverticaliter insertse, angulo 45^-50"^ patulee, arcuatae sed minime 

 pendulse (ut in E, oleracea videntur), elongato-lanceolatse, apice 

 acutas et subcucuUatae, leviter S-plicatse, mediae sesquipedales et lon- 

 giores pollicem latse, paucae apicales 7-polIicares^ basales tamen lon- 

 giores 22 x ^-pollicares caeteris angustiores et ma^s dissitae. 



Spadices solitarii infra folia oriundi ad angulum 40° porrecti rigidius- 

 culi polystiche ramosi; rhachis 32-pollicaris (pedunculo brevissimo 

 2-pollicari incluso) tomento bre\i albido (e pilis crassis fasciculatis) 

 persistente vestita ; raw/ sub 64 conferti squarrosi (infimi subdiver- 

 gentes^ medii rectanguli, superiores subadsceudentes) e basi turgida 

 attenuati, 16-21-pollicares; alveoli nee conferti nee profundi, triflori, 

 florem $ cum fl. c? duobus ad ejusdem basin anteriorem positis am- 

 plectentes. Spatbse 



Flores bracteolati, J ; fl. 5 sepala et petala oblato-orbicularia, 



ilia apice rotundata, hsec paulo longiora subapiculata. Ovaritmi m 

 flore non visum ; stigmata 3 recurva, sub carpelli unici grossificatione 

 tarn excentrica ut ad ejus medium ventrem posita viderentur. Baccof 

 nigrce globosse^ diametro 3-lineari, siccando e mesocarpio tenui albido 

 gnmioao tuberculatse ; endocarpium tenue membranacemn intus raphes 

 vasibus tenuibus reticidatum. Semen 3-lineare ; testa valida nigre- 

 scens, raphe ligulata subramosa a basi ad medium ventrem percursa ; 

 albumen solidum comeum ; emhryo subbasilaris conicus obtusus, ex- 

 tremitate radicular! cav-iusculus umbilicatus. 



Ohs, In E, oleracea^ Mart., secus fl. Negro ostia lecta {S. hk Palm. 21) 

 pinnas 78-jugas, 2^-pedales, exacte pendulas, inveni ; spadicum rha- 

 chin basi prselata amplexante supeme sensim angustatam, compres- 

 sam, supra convexam et ramos plurimos multifloros proferentem, 

 mibtus pfamam et ramia orbatam, coroUam fl. $ albam ; baccas dia- 

 metro fere semipollicares, &e. * 



This very distinct species, the only one of the genus J?/^/^^ which 

 has horizontally spreading and not pendulous pinnae, is widely 

 distributed throughout the " Caa-tingas," or White Forests, of 

 the Rio Negro. It varies so much in the quality of the fruit that, 

 were not all essential characters the same, it might be supposed 

 to include two or more species ; for in certain districts the meso- 

 carp of the fruit, though thin, is soft and sweet, and makes a 

 better drink than even the common Assai or Manaca (J?, oleracea) ; 

 but where the palm grows od almost bare flats of granite rock 

 that are inundated with every shower, the pulp is so grumous or 



character 



quian 



I have chiefly seen this species*. 



