Tas. 4861. 
DIPLOTHEMIUM urrroraue. 
Sea-shore Diplothemium. : 
Nat. Ord. PatmMacr®.—Monecra POLYANDRIA. 
Gen. Char. Flores monoici in eodem spadice, quincunciatim dispositi, masculi 
in parte inferiore verrucis callosis hemisphericis (pedicellis, Mart.) super foe- 
mineos impositi, in superiore solitarii, sessiles, bracteis flores masculos geminos 
vel intermedio feemineo sociatos cingentibus, favoso-connatis, Spatha duplex : 
exterior brevior, apice aperta, membranacea vel coriacea; interior clavata vel 
cylindracea, mucronata, ventre demum fissa, dorso sulcata, lignosa. FL. Mase. 
subcarnoso-coriacei. Calyx uterque 3-sepalis ; sepalis exterioribus anguste 
ceolatis, carinatis, ima basi connatis, erectis; interioribus ovatis, subcai 
erectis vel conniventibus. Stamina 6-12 vel indefinita (14-20, 24 et 60). ‘0 
basilari; filamenta subulata, inequilonga; anther@ sagittate vel sublineares, 
erectee. Ovarii rudimentum minutissimum vel nullum. FL. FreM. conacel, 
striati, ovato-globosi. Calyx uterque 3-sepalus; sepalis ovatis, carinatis; ex- 
terioribus imbricato-convolutis ; interioribus vix minc ribus, integerrimis vel re- 
pando-dentatis. Ovarium globoso-trigonum, loculis 2 rudimentariis 1-loculare. 
Stigmata 3, sessilia, triquetra, pyramidato-conniventia, demum subpatentia. Drupa 
ovata vel obovata, stigmatum residuis umbonata, 1-sperma, cortice fibroso ; puta- 
mine lapideo, basi 3-poroso. Aléumen cartilagineum, solidum. Embryo intra 
porum basilaris.—Palme in maritimis sabulosis vel in campis siccis herbidis sparse 
et gregarie crescentes, plerumque acaules, rarius caudicem craasiusculum inermem 
annulatum elevantes. Frondes pinnate, breviter petiolate, pinnis angustis, firmis, 
rigide patentibus vel crispis, interrupte aggregatis, subtus argenteis vel glauco-viridi- 
bus ; petiolorum basi vaginante, fibroso-panniformi, tandem lacera. Spadices sim- 
plices, antice dense florigeri. Spatha exterior intra frondium bases latens. Flores 
majusculi, ochroleuci. Drupee flavescentes ; carne jibrosa, eduli. Mart. 
DretotHEeMium Jittorale; acaule, frondibus spissis rectiusculis, pinnis rigidis 
subtus glaucescentibus, floribus masculis 10-1 2-andris, drupis obovatis sub- 
angulatis. Mart. 
Dretornemtvm littorale. Mart. Palm. 110. t. 76. f.5 only. Kth. Enum. Plant. 
v. 3. p. 290. . 
Cocos aRENARIUS. Gomez, Act. Olysip. 1812. p. 61. 
The Royal Gardens of Kew are indebted to the Jardin des 
Plantes of Paris for the possession of this small but graceful 
Palm. It threw up its spatha in the spring of 1855, which soon 
burst, and exposed to view the spike, or spadix, of dull yellow 
flowers. All the three described species of this genus are con- 
JULY Ist, 1855. 
