' Areca. MONOECIA HEXANDRIA, 617 
apices. Spadix axillary, ramous, retrofracted, branches 
thereof with alternate, distichous fascicles of two male, and 
one female flowers, the former polyandrous, the latter with a 
six-horned nectary. Fruit oblong, 
A native of the mountains of Malabar, where it was found 
by Dr. Dickson, both in flower and ripe fruit in the month of 
August. It grows to the height of about sixteen or eighteen 
feet, with a very straight, simple trunk, of about two inches 
in diameter, 
Leaves pinnate, about four feet long, with extremities bi- 
furcate, like the tail of a swallow. Leaflets sessile, linear, 
ribbed, with numerous parallel veins, apices przemorse, den- _ 
tate; from twelve to twenty-four inches long. Spathe sim- 
ple. Spadix compound, retrofracted; ramifications from 
four to eight, alternate, simple, equal, distichous; from six 
to eight inches long. Flowers numerous, approximate, al- 
ternate in two exactly opposite rows, a single female in the 
centres, with a single male on each side, MALE FLOWERS. 
Calyx three-cleft, division subulate, nearly as long as the 
corol. Corel, petals three, cordate, with slender tapering 
apices. Filaments very short, Anthers from twenty to thirty, 
linear. FemALE FLOWERS, Calyx of three reniform leaflets. — 
Corol like the calyx. Nectary, six clavate, hairy headed - 
scales. Germ superior. Style short, Stigma three-lobed. 
Berry oblong, dry and fibrous, about an inch long, by half 
an inch in diameter. Seed of the shape of the berry, rumi- 
nated. mbryo lodged in the base. | 
_Mr. Dickson, the Surgeon at Bedanore, who first brought 
the plant under my observation, observes that the nut is 
used by the poorer people, as a substitute for the common 
Areca, but no other —_—eeeen ries useful 
purpose. 
3. A. triandra. ms 
Arboreous, stoloniferous, Phas ‘Peete tat com-— 
VOL, I. > Sid Digest les : 
