(Enonarpns.'] equatobial-amebican palms. 141 



but in tlie Pataua of a greyisli-purple colour. The thin mcsocarp, 

 when triturated with water, affords a creamy sweetish liquor, 

 which is more used as a drink in the northern parts of Venezuela 

 than the similar but more highly coloured liquor obtained from 

 tlie fruits of the Euterpes. 



1. CEi. MINOR; Mart, Palm, 25, t. 27 : caudice solitario 15-30-pedali 

 gracillimo nudo; foliis requaliter pinnatis^ pinnis suh-60-jugis bi- 

 pedalihus lineari-lanceolatis abrupte acuminatis 5-plicatis subtus 

 albidis et albido-puberulis ; spadicum axi brevissima (2-pollicari 

 V. vix longiore), ramis plurimis lo-poUicaribus confertis pendulis; 

 baceis sub-7-Iinearibus ellipsoideis stylo brevissimo apicali rostellatis, 



Hab. *^' in sylvis provinciarum Paraensium et Rio Xegro " {Mart L c.) : 

 in sylvis elatioribus siccioribus flumiuis Negro supra ejus ostia; 

 mense Martio fructus sues maturat ; Bacaha-i Brasiliensium (^S. hb, 

 Pahn. 3, 67). 



Caudices solitarii mediocres, 15-30 pedes alti^ diametro 1^-3-pollicari; 

 validi denudati rufescentes. 



Folia plurima contemporanea; polysticha; areuato-horizontalia, sequaliter 

 pinnata, 8^-pedalia (vagina petiolari bipedali crassa fusifomii antice 

 fissa inclusa) ; petiolm proprius 7-pollicaris et 7*hachis conipressa 

 squauiulis angustis fimbriatis rufis dense obsessa ; pmn^s sub CO-jugae 

 (57-62) bipedales, angulo fere recto patulae^ longe liueari-lanceolata) 

 abrupte attenuato-acmninata?, valide 5-pIicat3e, supra saturate virides, 

 subtus albidse et sparse albido-puberuI?e. 



Spadices infra folia oriundi, simplieiter ramosi scopseformes ; axis brevis- 

 sima elongate conica, pedunculo 1^-pollicaribasidilatataamplexante 

 et rhachi poUicari constante; rami 24-41, 15 pollices lon^, fastigiati 

 penduli alveolati fructu corallini ; alveoli 3-flori, nempe fl. J unico 

 inferiore bracteolato, fl. 2 superioribus c? ; sed in ramorum tertia 



superiore flores <S soli adsunt. Spathoi 



Flores $ : sepala reniformia late imbricata. Petala (fructu maturate) 

 sepalis dupio et ultra longiora, imbricata coriacea concava cordato- 

 orbicularia, acumine brevi oblique obtuse 2-3-fido terminata. Bacct^ 

 nigrae nitidae, 7| X 5-lineares, ellipsoidefe, sj-mmetricae, stjdo brevis- 

 simo stigmatibusque 3 brevibus crassis triangularibus conniventibus 

 rostellatse, monospermae ; mesocarpium proprium tenue grumoso- 

 camosum; endocarptum (?) laminis plurimis flabellato-venosis con - 

 stans ; testa tenuis firma raphes vasibus tenuibus pallidis subanasto- 

 mosantibus a basi ad apicem usque radiantibus percm-sa ; albumen 

 albescens lignescens^ fibris tenuibus elongatis utrinque acutis hori- 

 zontalibus constans } embryo hilo proximus. g 



Obs. — The fusiform leaf-sheaths are more than double the dia- 

 meter of the stem ; they open in front with a single slit, and then 



-i 



-.. . . X -*^'l t'l 



