mainly derived from a plant obtained for Kew from 

 Messrs. Sander in 1913, which flowered in a tropical 

 house later in the same year; the inflorescence from 

 which our figures of the female flower and pistil have 

 been made was borne by a plant in their nursery at 

 St. Albans. The species thrives well under stove-treat- 

 ment in a loamy soil and a moist atmosphere. The 

 Palm family is one with which the idea of a stem of 

 considerable height is associated, and only some half- 

 dozen species are known in which the stem is less than a 

 yard in height. Among these short-stemmed species, 

 C.nana is one of the smallest, and an adult example in 

 full flower is not too large to be suitable for use as a 

 table decoration. 



Description.— Shrub, 1-2 ft. high, quite glabrous; 

 stem unbranched, about J in. thick, marked with distant 

 annular leaf-scars. Leaves simple; lamina somewhat 

 obovate-elliptic, 2-fid to the middle with acute lobes, 

 cuneate at the base, somewhat glaucescent especially 

 beneath, midrib stout, lateral nerves about 11 to each 

 lobe, distal margin serrate-dentate; petiole 3-31 in. 

 long, sheathing almost or quite to the apex and there 

 6 i t?^ l-j Peduncles axillary, solitary, 6-8 in. long, 

 tW m. thick, clothed with 5 tubular acute sheaths or 

 spatnes the uppermost shorter or not longer than the 

 peduncle. Spadix : male 4-7-branched, the branches 

 recurved-pendulous, simple, up to 6 in. in length; female 

 simple recurved, green. Flowers rather loosdy spicate ; 

 male oblong, l m . long, green with a yellow base; female 



wWoTt' P m ' across ' ^ een - Cal V x cupular, some- 

 il*' ver / s h^t. Petals: male free, oblong, 



ZZlu ^ aCUtG at the **« female elliptii or sub- 

 m^^f' ,° btU f' ?° ncave - Stamens half ^ long as the 

 r, Ift 18 ' •t*?* as lon S as the rudimentary ovary. 

 Ovary globose ; style minute ; stigma entire. 



^ol^T^tohTJ^r 6 TV 116 ,? etal removed; 3, a female flower ; 

 reducl ^ Cntlre P lant: ~«" enlarged except 5, which is much 



