AKECACEAE. 57 



Common in all but saline situations. Endemic. Flowers in summer, the fruit 

 ripe in autumn. The plants differ greatly in size, depending on soil and situation, but 

 there is only one species of Palmetto wild in Bermuda, records of two or more species 

 notwithstanding. After the Cedar it is the most conspicuous native tree. This palm 

 was first named as distinct from all others, in 1829, by Glazebrook, in the London 

 Gardeners' Magazine 5 : 54, and there illustrated ; the specific name is in honor of a 

 Mr. Blackburn, in whose collection, in England, it was then known, but all record 

 of its origin had been lost, other than that it came into the possession of his grand- 

 father in 1737. It is now frequent in greenhouses in Europe, and occasional in 

 West Indian gardens. Its closest relative is probably Subtil Palmetto (Walt.) 

 Lock!., of Florida, the Bahamas and Cuba, from the seeds of which, brought to 

 Bermuda by floating, it may have sprung through isolation. Baskets of many 

 kinds, hats, dish-mats, napkin-rings, fans and other small articles are made from 

 the bleached leaves ; the leaves are also torn into strips and extensively utilized for 

 stringing fish. Where growing protected from the wind, the trees hold their old 

 withering leaves for some time, but ordinarily the leaves fall soon after maturing. 



An intoxicating beverage called " Bibey " was formerly distilled from its 

 fruit (H. B. Small). 



It has often been illustrated, as on plates 6, ?', 8 and 9 of the Botany of the 

 Challenger Expedition ; Garden and Forest 4 : f. 5,! ; Annual Report, Missouri 

 Botanical Garden 15 : pi. 21 ; Journal of the New York Botanical Garden, 13 : pi. 

 107. Constrictions in the trunk of this palm are described by Harshberger in Pro- 

 ceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 57 : 701-704, 1905. 



Cocos nucifera L., COCONUT, tropical American, has been locally planted 

 and grows to maturity. This palm succeeds best in loose sandy soil where its 

 roots have perfect drainage. Its fruit, as produced in Bermuda, is mostly 

 small, and not of good quality. 



Phoenix dactylifera L., DATE PALM, African, has been locally planted for 

 ornament and interest and grows well; a number of large trees may be seen, 

 but the climate is neither dry nor hot enough to enable it to perfect very good 

 fruit. Fine old plants were seen at the Public Garden, St. Georges. 



Phoenix rupicola T. Anders., a low, bright green species, is grown in 

 gardens; it is native of India. 



Koystonea regia (H.B.K.) Cook, EOYAL PALM, Cuban and Floridian, com- 

 monly planted for shade and ornament, and of rapid growth, has pinnate 

 leaves often 9 long or longer, their narrow segments spreading in more than 

 one plane, long drooping panicles of white flowers, and subglobose, slightly 

 fleshy fruits about 4" long. [Oreodoxa regia H.B.K.] 



Roystonea oleracea (Jaeq.) Cook, CABBAGE PALM, Jamaican, is similar to 

 the preceding species but taller, sometimes 90 high, the leaf-segments spread- 

 ing nearly in one plane, the oblong slightly curved fruit nearly *' long. 

 [Oreodoxa oleracea (Jacq.) Mart.] 



Livistona chinensis E. Br., BOURBON PALM, a fan-leaved species with spiny 

 leaf-stalks- and very large leaves is commonly grown in gardens, forming a 

 trunk up to 12 high or more. [L. mauritiana Wall.] 



Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Cook, GRUGRU PALM, West Indian, may be 

 seen in several fine specimens on lawns ; it has pinnate spiny leaves and a cylin- 

 dric stout densely spiny trunk up to 20 high. It has been erroneously 

 recorded as an Astrocaryum. 



Chrysalidocarpus lutescens H. Wendl., GOLDEN -FRUITED PALM, native of 

 Madagascar, a species usually forming clustered trunks, slender and becoming 

 15 or 20 high, with light green, long, pinnate leaves and small yellow fruit, is 

 occasionally planted for ornament. 



Rhapis flabelliforrais L'Her., of Western Asia, occasionally planted for 

 ornament, is a very slender palm, 9 high or less, forming thickets; its slender- 

 petioled palmate leaves are about 1 broad, cleft nearly to the end of the 

 petiole into 3-10 linear segments i'-lj' wide, which are incised at the apex and 

 with spinulose margins; its flowers are in panicled spikes under the leaves. 



Caryota ureus L., TODDY PALM, WINE PALM, Asiatic, seen at the Agri- 

 cultural Station in 1913, but not vigorous, becomes 40 or 50 high under 

 favorable conditions ; it is unarmed, with pinnately divided leaves up to 10 

 or 12 long, the segments obliquely wedge-shaped and toothed; when mature, it 



