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XXIII. Defcription of the Frjuit of Cycas rcvrAuta. By James Edward 

 Smith}^M.b, KR.S. P.LS. 



Read November 3, 180 1. 



1 HE Cycasrevoluta, Thunb. Fl. fapon. 229, Ait, Hort. Kew. v, 3. 475, 

 having, for the Hrft time in England, produced fruit in the colledtion 

 of the Honourable and Right Reverend the Biiliop of Winchefter, at 

 Farnham Caftle, Surrey ; his Lordlhip was pleafed to requeft that 

 an account of it might be laid before the Linnean Society. For this 

 purpofc I was induced to go to Farnham in November 1799, ac- 

 companied by Mr. Sowerby, in order to make the requifite obferva- 

 tions. We found the fruit then ripe, and exhibiting a moft magni- 

 ficent fpeclacle. The plant was much larger than any I had feen of 

 the fame fpecies, and feems to be one of the oldeft in England. 

 We learn from the Hortus Kewctfis that this Cycas has been about 

 40 years in our collections. It is not known that the Farnham 

 plant was larger at its firit introduction than fuch as are ufually 

 brought from abroad, perhaps 2 or 3 feet in the diameter of 

 the circle formed by the expanded leaves ; that diameter is now 

 10 or 12 feet. Suppofmg it therefore to have been one of the very 

 firft introduced, it has grown much more rapidly than ufual; for 

 there are few to be feen in England, even the oldefl:, that are half 

 fo large. I (hall proceed to defcribe its appearance and ftru6ture. 



The ftem is about 2 feet in height, and 9 or 10 inches in dia- 

 meter. Thunberg defcribes the fame as rifing in Japan to the 

 height of 6 feet or more, with nearly the abovementioned diameter. 

 Its furface is brown, and sexy fcaly with the remains of old leaf- 



ftalks. 



