28 



The starch is characterised when seen under the microscope, by 

 larger and more uniform cells than the other varieties. It will be our 

 object to introduce the plant throughout the Island, as Bermuda 

 arrowroot ; as it is now clearly evident that starch excellent in quality 

 and in quantity can be produced in Trinidad as well as in the more 

 Northern Islands — a fact which has been previously doubted. A 

 moderate quantity of roots can be had at the Gardens gratis by any 

 planter who wishes to commence the cultivation. 



lOa-GUILIELMA SPEOIOSA.-Mart. 



Bactris Minor — Jacq. 



The "Peach Palm." 



This Palm which is according to the Kew list published in 1882, 

 the Bactris Minor of Jacq.. is a very interesting one in many par- 

 ticulars. Mr. Prestoe in his report for 1880 makes mention of having 

 raised it from seeds contributed to the Garden by H. Darling, Esq., 

 of Lothian's Estate, Trinidad, in the tvoods of ivhich Estate this Palm 

 occurs loild. The latter statement I have not verified, but it is 

 certain that it is a plant whose range is wide spread. I have seen 

 it on the Isthmus of Panama ; on the Atlantic side of the Province of 

 Veragua ; and also in the Republic of Nicaragua. It is known, 

 according to Seeman in his "Popular History of Palms" as the Piritu 

 or Pirijao in Venezuela. The Pupunha of the Amazon district, and 

 the Paripou of Guiana. It is commonly sold in a cooked state in the 

 markets of the Town of Port-of-Spain under the name of Peewah, 

 which may possibly be a corruption of its Spanish name. The 

 plant usually bears two crops a year, one crop (that of October) 

 producing nothing but abortive seeds, with a greatly enlarged fruit, 

 and the other, producing small fruits containing little else but the 

 hard fertile seed. The fruits of the October crop contain a large 

 amount of nutrient matter suitable for human food, and are much 

 appreciated by all classes native to the country, and even by visitors. 

 They are eaten with salt after being well boiled. 



The Palm thrives well in a poor soil, but is readily responsive to 

 the application of suitable manure, and by its growth alone the pro- 

 ductiveness of a soil may be fairly judged. If planted in a poor soil 

 the plant developes few and weak stems, but in a rich soil its growth 

 is abundant, its stems are more numerous and it soon assumes a heavy 

 growth of luxuriant foliage. 



