18 
produces none, or it bursts and disappears at a very early stage 
of growth. The male flowers and spatha are produced from the 
axils of the inner leaves and they incline outwards. The singular 
heads of fertile inflorescence grow round the base of the plant, 
often six clusters at one time and the heads rest on the ground, 
or are wedged between the leaves, and borne on a buried footstalk, 
of which the fibre is exceedingly tough. These clusters are of 
an imperfectly rounded form, covered with strong protuberan¬ 
ces, about an inch and a half long, resembling styles, but which 
have generally no connexion with the fructification of the seeds. 
On dissecting one of these compact heads, I found it to consist 
of many clusters, with three to five, commonly four seeds, com¬ 
pactly Wtted together. Hence the name of this Palm,“ Cabeza 
del Nigro,” by no means an inapt comparison, for the style- 
hke projections resemble a black man’s rigid hair. The styles 
contract to a point, tipped by a stigma, four or five inches 
long and again divided into as many points as there are 
seeds or cavities in the clusters. At a very early stage, these 
hollows are filled with a watery fluid, of a sweetish taste, which 
lessens in quantity with the advancing state of the fruit. The 
fohage of this Palm is used for thatching, and the whole of the 
houses in the Paroquia del Carmea are thus covered, the Ivory- 
nut Palm abounding in that neighbourhood. The leaves of other 
Palms are, however, better adapted to the purpose. Enclosing 
the seeds is a yellow, sweet, oily pulp, which is collected at the 
present season (October), and sold, under the name of Pepe del 
Ta^a, for one real a pound, at Ocana. A spoonfull of it, with 
a httle sugar and water, makes the celebrated Chiche de Tagua, 
said to be the most delicious beverage of this country. It has, 
however, a slightly drastic property. Although this substance 
contains much oil, it never becomes rancid by keeping, but at 
the end of nine months it preserves, in a crude state, all its 
flavour and quality. 
The Phytelephas principally inhabits dense shady woods, facing 
the Magdalena, at an elevation of 1,000 to 3,000 feet on the 
mountains. I do not believe it is ever seen in the hot plains or 
level country. At the season when the fruit is ripe, the country 
is scented with its fragrance and all wild animals, hogs and 
turkeys, are extremely fond of it. 
I shall leave this place in four days, for La Cruz Bucaramanga, 
proceeding thence to Pamplona, the highest town in New Grenada : 
snow frequently falls there. I shall return to Bucaramanga, that 
being the direct road to Bogota. The whole journey is in Tierra 
fria and I hope will aflbrd some valuable plants. 
I am anxious to know how this consignment of plants &c. 
