Tas. 4845. 
CHAM/EDOREA eExeGans (As). 
Elegant Chamedorea (male). 
Nat. Ord. Patmace®.—Dria@cira HEXANDRIA. 
Gen. Char. (Vide supra, Tas. 4831.) 
Cuammporea élegans ; caudice abbreviato stricto arcte annulato, vaginis brevi- 
bus ovato-lanceolatis apice leviter auriculatis, petiolis superne suleatis subtus 
rachique dorso fascia albida, rachi superne scabra, pinnis concinnis angusto- 
lanceolatis utrinque acuminatis, spadicibus inter frondes laxis angulatis, 
foemineis duplicato-ramosis, corollis foemineis tridentatis, baccis subglo- 
bosis. Mart. 
Cuamaxporza elegans. Mart. in Linnea, v. 5. p. 204. Paim. v. 3. p. 159. t. 
R. fig. 3 (analysis of portions only). Kunth, Enum, Pl. v.38. p.171. Wendl. — 
Index Palm. Suppl. p. 57. ot 
Wendland, in his ‘ Enumeratio Systematica Chamzedorearum,’ 
has forty-two species of the genus; but it is no easy task to — 
refer a given plant to its proper place among the species: many 
are but imperfectly known ; of few are both the male and female 
plants known (and the inflorescence differs materially in the two 
sexes), and the difficulty is increased by the characters of the 
more recently described species—we allude to Mr. Wendland’s 
in particular—being so unreasonably long, that without knowing 
which are really essential characters, it is impossible to derive 
advantage from them. Happily in the present instance we have 
to be guided by a character of a species of Von Martius, which, 
as far as that of the male plant is concerned, seems to be iden- 
tical with ours, which was received from Mr. Linden, without 
being marked by any specific name or country. If we are right _ 
in referring it to C. elegans (and unfortunately the figures given 
by Martius are of very little help to us), it is a native of Mexico, 
and appears to be introduced into Europe by Messrs. Schiede 
and Deppe. In general habit it much resembles C. gracilis, 
APRIL Ist, 1855. 
