and they could give no particulars beyond Mr. Micholitz's 

 note that it was very distinct and ornamental, and the 

 tallest stems he had seen were about nine feet high. 

 Until fruit and seed are known, the genus of this palm 

 must remain doubtful ; but it will probably prove gene- 

 rically distinct from Areca. A detailed description is 

 given above, from which it will be seen that it differs in 

 several particulars from the typical species of Areca, such 

 as A. Catechu, L. and A. triandra, Roxb., and it is still 

 further removed from the section Balano carpus. It is one 

 of the comparatively few palms of which the stem or 

 caudex is entirely supported by aerial roots from a very 

 early stage of growth, if not actually from the first stage 

 after germination. 



Descr. — A small palm, glabrous in all parts, flowering 

 when quite young. Stem slender, not known to exceed 

 nine or ten feet in height, as figured here, between five 

 and six feet high, and one and a half inch in diameter, 

 tapering at the base, and entirely supported above ground 

 by aerial roots, banded, unarmed ; internodes one to two 

 inches long. Leaves glabrous, petiolate, pinnatisect, 

 forked at the apex, about three and a half feet long ; seg- 

 ments either five or seven and alternate, except the 

 uppermost confluent pair, or six or eight and opposite, 

 usually four- to eight-ribbed and folded, broad at the base, 

 distinctly separated or contiguous, lower ones falcate- 

 oblong, acuminate, entire, the rest quadrate-oblong, about 

 four- to eight-fid, the tips acute ; petiole having an elongated, ' 

 turgid sheath usually enclosing a young inflorescence, 

 somewhat trigonous above the sheath. Spathes solitary 

 in the axils of fallen leaves, shortly and stoutly stalked, 

 simple, boat-shaped, eight to nine inches long, outside 

 smooth, shining, yellow-green<, inside silvery° shining, 

 striated longitudinally, rounded at the tip, slightly con- 

 cave on the upper side before opening, falling away almost 

 directly after opening; secondary spathes reduced to 

 small or minute bracts. Spadix monoecious, ascending, 

 simply branched, about a foot long and nine inches across, 

 pale green, studded with minute scales ; branches usually 

 about eight, in two rows, spreading, thick, compressed, 

 Z1 gzag, gradually tapering upwards (not almost thread-like 

 as m some of the genuine species of Areca) ; bracts and 



