284 MR. D. MORRIS ON THE PRODUCTION 



Martius* figures, in Lis great work, branched palms of two 

 species only ; Masters, in ' Vegetable Teratology ' (18G9), had so 

 few facts available at the time, that the subject is hardly men- 

 tioned. It is probable, also, that the occurrence was looked upon 

 as chiefly the result of morbid growth due to disease or injury. 

 It is, moreover, a peculiarity of branched palms, from the larger 

 area presented by them to strong winds, that they are especially 

 liable to be destroyed by hurricanes. They are probably in 

 many instances comparatively short-lived, and their occurrence 

 may thus escape observation. Many specimens recorded in this 

 paper have already ceased to exist. 



A short paper on Branched Palms in Southern India, by Dr. 

 Andy, was read before this Society in 1867 1. The species men- 

 tioned were Borassus flabelliformis and Cocos nucifera. Atten- 

 tion was drawn in the same paper to a leafy proliferation appearing 

 • on the spadix of the latter. A paper with exactly the same title 

 was read before the Society a little later by Dr. Shortt %. Occa- 

 sional exhibitions of photographs and drawings of branched palms 

 are recorded in the Society's i Proceedings. ' More recently an 

 interesting " Note on some Branching Palms " was read before 

 the Bombay Natural History Society by Mrs. W. E. Hart in 

 18S8§. This was illustrated by a figure of the well-known 

 branched palm (Phoenix sylvestris) at Indore, and of a specimen 

 of the same species growing on Cumballa Hill, Bombay. Refer- 

 ences are given to other specimens in India. These communi- 

 cations, with an occasional notice in the ' Gardeners' Chronicle/ 

 appear to exhaust the attempts made to deal with the subject. 

 All are, however, confined to Indian specimens. The species 

 directly and indirectly discussed are of the following genera: 

 Borassus, Cocos, Phoenix, Areca. The further material available 

 consists of scattered references in works of travel, in periodical 

 literature, and in museum hand-books. I am indebted to Mr. B. 

 Daydon Jackson, Secretary of the Society, for many references to 

 works not easily accessible, and I would tender to him my thanks 

 for them. 



* ' Hist. Nat. Palm.' i. tab. Z. 2. 

 t Trans. Linn. Soc. xxvi. p. 661, pi. li. 

 J Journ. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) xi. p. 14. 

 § Journ. Boinbav Nat. Hist. Soc. iii. r 



