and the origin of which is now unknown, thrives well in the 
Aroid house in a mixture of rich loamy-soil and sand, and 
requires abundance of moisture both in the air and at the 
roots throughout the year. From this plant was obtained 
the material for our plate. 
Description.— Palm with an erect, slender annulate 
green stem 12-20 ft. high. Leaves few, 6-7 ft. long, 
gracefully arched, pale green ; petiole 1} ft. long; leaflets 
about 24 on each side of the rachis, 2 ft. long, 2-24 in. 
wide, lanceolate, straight, unequally acuminate. Inflores- 
cence dioecious ; spathes 4, membranous, the lowest shortly 
tubular with an unequally truncate mouth, the three upper. 
fusiform; flowers slightly sunk in the spadix, ebracteate, 
at first white, at length pale yellow. Male: Calyx minute, 
3-toothed. Petals 3, much longer than the calyx, coriaceous, 
valvate. Stamens 6: filaments short, connate at the base; 
anthers oblong. Rudimentary ovary columnar. Female: 
Calyx 3-partite, lobes triangular, valvate. Corolla thrice 
as long as calyx, shortly tubular below; lobes triangular, 
valvate. Ovary globose; stigmas 3, somewhat fleshy, 
spreading. Berry globose, 2 in. across, bright pink; spadix 
yellowish in ripe fruit. Albumen equable, horny; embryo 
dorsal, situated above the base. | 
_ Fig. 1, two flowers from female spadix ; 2,a single female flower, the perianth 
In vertical section; 3, transverse section of ovary; 4, seed; 5, sketch of an 
ne plant :—the three first enlarged, the Fourth of natural size, the last much 
re i 
