COCOS,] EQUATORIAL-AMEKICAN PALMS. IGl 



Cocos, Linn. 



I introduce this genus for tlie sake of describing under it a 

 Palm of the Upper Orinoco, but with considerable doubt aa to 

 whether this is really its proper place. The whole of the Un- 

 armed Cocoineje, but especially those with hexandrous J flowers, 

 are in fact so closely allied that it is difficult to say whether they 

 should constitute one genus or many, and (in the latter case) on 

 what characters to found their delimitation. Martius describes 

 Cocos with a solitary spathe, and makes no mention of anhypogy- 

 nous cup (or sterile androeceum); yet Karsten attributes to Cocos 

 both an hypogynous cup and a double spathe, and frames his genus 

 Platenia for the reception of the species with a solitary spathe* 

 The species described below has certainly a double spathe, and 

 would perhaps be referred by Dr. Martius to his genus Syagrusy 

 which itself seems to be no more than a sub«:enus of Cocos. 



C. Orinockksis, sp. n. 



Hab. in montibus graniticis fluminis Orinoco secus cataractas^ valde 



freq^uens, gregaria. 



Caudex 12-GO-pedalis gracilesceus^ diametro hand semipedali, annulatus, 

 laevis, inemiis, et(foliis marcidis omnino deciduis) ad apicem folio- 

 sum usque nudus. 



Folia flavo-viridia, inferiora arcuato-pendula, superiora subpatula v. 

 fere erecta, incequaliter pinnata, 6^-pedalia ; petiolus 2-pedalis facie 

 superiore caviusculus basi vix dilatatus, vagina brevi fibrilloso-mem- 

 branacea cito decidua; pimtte 78-80-jugse, 2-3-natiui fastigiahe, 

 mediae fere bipedales, 10 lineas latse, lineares apice longe sensini 

 angustat^e, basi reduplicate, haud falcata? sed pendulae. 



Spadices l^-pedales simpliciter ramosi, tres contemporanei sed a diver- 

 sorum foliorum axillis orti ; rami polystichi conferti flexuosi 9-12-pol- 

 licares, tertio inferiore flores $ 7-10 altemos sohtarios ad flexuras pro- 

 ferentes, apice tenuiore flores S (ut videtur binatos bracteola stipa- 



. tos) gerentes- Spathce 2 : exterior brevis 9-pollicaris compressa 

 aziceps ; interior lignescens 2^ pedes longa, circumferentia majore 



^ C-pollicari, e basi tenui vaginante fusiformis cuspidata antice ri 

 et demum (fructu maturato) explanata. 



-F7or^5cJjam delap^i fuerunt. Fl. J trigono-urceolares vix semipollicem 

 alti. Sepala petalaque oblato-cordato-triangularia obtusa late imbri- 

 cata, hsBc sublongiora. Atidrceceum sterile cupulare, vel potius late 

 annulare, corolla 4-plo brevius. ..... Ihupee magnitudine ovi colum- 



* *' Plants Colunibiana&," Linneea, 1850, p. 249. • 



LTXX. PROC. BOTAXY, VOL. XT. Si 



