AEACEAE 225 



dm. long: peduncles 2-2.5 cm. thick, nearly terete; branches, except those bearing 

 flowers, flattened above: perianth white; staininate 6-7 mm. long, the sepals and petals 

 oblong or ovate-oblong, acute or acutish ; pistillate perianth barely ^ as long as the 

 staminate, the sepals and petals triangular or ovate-triangular, slightly pinched below 

 the apex : drupe oval-ol»long or globose-oval, or sometimes slightly narrowed at the 

 base, 12-14 mm. long, violet-blue. [0)-eodoxa regin H.B.K.] 



In hammocks, southern peninsular Florida and the Keys, also in the West Indies and Central America. 

 It flowers mainly in winter. Royal Palm. 



7. PSEUDOPHOENIX H. Wendl. 



Unarmed trees, with enlarged bases and narrowly spindle-sliaped trunks. Leaves 

 arching, with pinnate blades, the segments numerous, narrow, longest and broadest 

 about the middle of the blade, ascending : rachis concave above near the base, with 

 gland-like excrescences along the sides : petioles relatively short, the margins thin, en- 

 tire. Spadix much shorter than the leaves, pendulous, branched, glabrous, barely zig- 

 zag. Flowers monoecious : staminate not yet seen : pistillate with a 3-lobed cup-like 

 calyx, 3 acute petals and 6 staminodia with imperfect anthers. Drupe subglobose or 

 sometimes 2-3-lobed, bright-colored, with a thin mesocarp. Seed free, erect, slightly 

 depressed. Endosperm uniform. Embryo basal. 



1. Pseudophoenix Sargentii H. Wendl. An unarmed tree, ranging from 6 to 8 m. 

 tall, with a maximum trunk diameter of about 3 dm. Leaves 1.5-2 m. long ; blades 

 pinnate, the segments narrowly linear-lanceolate, acumiinate, 4-4.5 dm. long at the 

 middle of the blade, decreasing in size toward each end ; petioles strongly concave or 

 nearly involute, 15-20 cm. long: spadix slightly shorter than the leaves, becoming 6- 

 7.5 dm. broad, yellowish green, the branches rather widely spreading, slightly flattened, 

 the ultimate divisions rigid : pistillate flowers numerous : petals ovate or oblong-ovate, 

 pinched under the acute or obtuse apex: drupe subglobose or 2f-3-lobed, 12-20 mm. 

 broad, orange-scarlet, on pedicels 4-6 mm. long. 



In sandy soil, Elliott's and Long Keys, Florida. 



8. COCOS L. 



Unarmed trees, with erect usually elongated stems.. Leaves often ample : blades 

 pinnate, the segments entire, toothed or cleft at the apex, 1 -nerved, the rachis acute 

 above, concave beneath. Spadix at length drooping. Flowers monoecious, white or 

 yellowish : staminate with lanceolate or triangular valvate sepals, oblique valvate 

 petals, 6 included stamens and a rudimentary ovary, or this wanting : pistillate flowers 

 often larger than the staminate, accrescent, with thick imbricated sepals, included im- 

 bricated petals, an annular disk and a 3-celled ovary, in Avhich 2 cavities are often im- 

 perfect. Drnpe terete or 3-angled, with a thick fibrous pericarp and a bony endocarp. 

 Seed with a brown or reddish testa. Endosperm often hollow. 



1. Cocos nucifera L. A stately tree often 12-30 m. tall, with a trunk diameter 

 varying from 2,-% dm. Leaves ample; blades pinnate, 3-5 m. long, short-petioled, the 

 segments numerous, 5-7 dm. long, commonly 4-5 cm. broad: spadix 1-2 m. long, the 

 branches firm, 3-4 dm. long: perianth of staminate flowers fully 1 cm. long: petals 

 about twice as long as broad : pistillate perianth about 2.5 cm. high, someAvhat 

 broader: drupe oval, or silightly broadest above or below the middle, obtusely 3-angled, 

 2-3 dm. long, with a thick husk: stone with a wall 3-5 mm. thick: endosperm hollow, 

 enclosing a milky juice. 



In sandy soil, peninsular Florida. Introduced. Also in all tropics. Coco Palm. Coco-nut Palm 



Order 7. ARALES. 



Perennial, frequently bog or aquatic herbs, or rarely trees ; in Lemnaceab 

 reduced to very small or minute floating tlialloid plaiits. Leaves mainly basal : 

 blades sword-like or expanded. Inflorescence a spadix, the complete or incom- 

 plete flowers wholly or partially covering the axis, sometimes subtended by or 

 enclosed in a spathe, or in Lemnaceae, with one or few flowers in propagative 

 pouches on the margin of the plant-body. Perianth not readily separable into 

 calyx and corolla, sometimes wanting. Fruit a beri-y or a utricle. 



15 



