394 ILLUSTRATION OF THE BOTANY OF [ Palmacee. 
182. PALMACEZ. 
Palms, important in the countries where they are indigenous, for their multiplied 
uses, have always been of particular interest to botanists from their peculiarity of 
structure. By Linneus they were styled the Princes of the Vegetable Kingdom, and 
Endlicher calls the class, of which they form the only order, Principres. Palms, 
though they are not confined to, yet inhabit in the greatest numbers, the countries 
within the Tropics. In the southern hemisphere, ‘‘ one species is found in New 
Holland, in 34° S. lat. ;” but “‘ in New Zealand, a species of Areca was observed by 
Sit Joseph Banks in about! 38° 8. lats,’? whichis. probably near tthe Jimit.of ‘Palms in 
the southern hemisphere (Brown); while Jubea spectabilis occurs in Chili. In the 
northern hemisphere species of Sabal extend from 29° to 41° N. lat. in America; and 
in Europe, Chamerops humilis is found as far as Nice, between 43° and 44° N. lat. In 
Asia they do not extend so far, the east and west direction of the mountains preventing 
their extension northwards. Rhaphis flabelliiformis, with Chamerops excelsa, occurs in 
Japan, and Phenix dactylifera, or Date-tree, “is found in Syria, along the course of the 
Euphrates and Tigris; on the east, in the plains between Bagdad and Kermanshah, 
lat. 33° 9’; on the north, as far as Tekkred, lat. 34° 40’; on the west it extends to 
Palmyra, lat. 34° 20’; and from that to the Syrian coast of the Mediterranean. From 
local causes it does not flourish at Aleppo, but is found still further north at Smyrna, 
which is in lat. 38° 25’, and the most northern limit of the Date-tree. | 
Though abounding chiefly in hot and moist parts of the New World, they are pro- 
bably of the greatest value when flourishing as they do in the arid parts of Africa 
and Arabia, as well as of Syria; though commonly found in the plains in these 
countries, they also occur in mountainous regions; as Chamerops humilis in the 
most northern latitude in Europe; so the lofty C. Martiana occurs in Nepal at 
4,000 feet, and Phenix humilis, nob., is common in the Kheree Pass, at 2,500. feet 
above the level of the sea, in 30° of N. latitude with Pinus longifolia, which is the 
only one of the Conifere found there at so low an elevation. So Brahea of Martius, 
the Corypha dulcis of Humboldt, occurs in the temperate parts of New Spain at about 
4,400 feet, with oaks and pines; while Jriartea (Ceroxylon). andicola is-found in the 
Andes of Peru, at an elevation of from 5,400 to 8,700 feet. | 
The celebrated Martius, who, in, his splendid work on Palms, has so fully eluci- 
, dated both the systematic and structural history of the family, was led to infer, that 
the number of species scattered over the face of nature will be found to amount to 
1,000 or more, from having observed, when travelling in Brazil, that particular species 
scarcely extend beyond very contracted limits. The illustrious Humboldt is also 
of opinion that great numbers remain to be discovered, but as only 175. are at present 
known, of which 119 are S. American, 14 African, and 42 Indian, it does not even seem 
probable that the present numbers will ever be doubled. Schow has justly observed, 
that such Palm-forests as those of S. America are not frequent in other parts of the 
world. 
