PALM FAMILY 



345 



Fig. 844. 



1. Washingtonia filifera (Linden) Wendl. California Fan Palm. 



Pritchardia filamentosa Drude, Hot. Zeit. 34: 806. 1876, 



nonien nudum. 

 Pritchardia filifera Linden, 111. Hort. 2: 32, 103. 1877. 

 Washingtonia filifera Wendl. Bot. Zeit. 37: 68. 1879. 

 Washingtonia filamentosa Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 2: 737. 



1891. 

 Neozvasliingtonia filamentosa Sudw. U. S. Uiv. Forest 



Bull. 14: 105. 1897. 

 Neozvashingtonia filifera Sudw. Forest Trees Pacif. Slope, 



199. 1908. 



A tall stately tree, often 20-40 m. high, with a 



trunk 6-10 dm. in diameter, clothed sometimes 



almost to the base with a dense thatch of dead 



leaves; wood light and soft. Leaves 1.5-2 m. long 



and 1-1.5 m. wide, pale green, sparsely tomentose 



on the folds ; petioles nearly as long as the 



leaves, about 5 cm, broad, with sheaths about 



3 dm. wide, and 4 dm. long ; spadix often 3-4 



m. long ; spathes yellowish brown, those of the v\^ 



secondary branches laciniate ; fruits about 1 cm. ''^ 



long. 



Occurs in a few scattered groves mostly in cafions 

 along the base of the desert mountains, from White ^ 

 Water to Carizo Creek, southern California. Especially 

 fine specimens are in Palm Springs Canon at the eastern 

 base of the San Jacinto Mountains. Type locality: 

 described from plants cultivated in Europe. The 

 source of the seeds is not definitely known. 



Washingtonia filifera robusta (Wendl.) Parish, Bot. Gaz. 44: 420. 1907. Washingtonia robusta Wendl. 

 Garten Zeit. 2: 198. 18S3. A robust form with stout trunks; petioles armed throughout. Those of the typical 

 form unarmed near the base of the blade. Growing with the typical form on the western borders of the 

 Colorado Desert. Frequently cultivated. 



Washingtonia gracilis Parish, Bot. Gaz. 44: 420. 1907. Trunk tall and slender; leaf blades destitute of 

 filaments or nearly so. This species is not known in the wild state, but is frequently cultivated in California, 

 usually under the name W. robusta. It is a much more rapid grower than W. filifera, and is known to reach 

 a height of 30 m. 



Family 13. ARACEAE. 



Arum Family. 



Herbs with mostly basal, simple or compound leaves, and spathaceous inflores- 

 cence, the spathe inclosing or subtending the spadix. Spadix densely flowered, 

 the staminat^ flowers above, the pistillate below, or the plants dioecious, or with 

 perfect flowers in some species. Perianth of 4-6 scale-like segments, or wanting. 

 Stamens 4—10; filaments very short; anthers 2-celled, commonly with a thick 

 truncate connective, the sacs opening by dorsal pores or slits. Ovary 1-several- 

 celled ; ovules 1-several in each cell ; style short or wanting ; stigma terminal, com- 

 monly minute and sessile. Fruit a berry or utricle. Seeds various. Endorsperm 

 copious, sparse or none. 



A large family containing about 105 genera and 900 species, mostly tropical, a few in the temperate 

 zones. 



L LYSICHITON Schott, Oestr. Bot. Wochenbl. 7: 62. 1857. 



Acaulescent swamp herb, with an ill-scented shiny sap, and large leaves arising from a 

 thick horizontal rootstock. Spathe sheathing at base, usually expanded above into a broad 

 colored lamina. Spadix at first enveloped by the spathe. becoming long-exserted upon a 

 stout peduncle. Flowers perfect, crowded and covering the cylindrical spadix. Perianth 

 4-lobed. Stamens 4, opposite the perianth-lobes ; filaments short, flat ; anthers 2-celled, open- 

 ing upward. Ovary conical, 2-celled ; 2-ovuled ; stigma depressed ; ovules horizontal, orthot- 

 ropus. [Greek, meaning loose and tunic, in allusion to the spathe.] 



A monotypic genus peculiar to the Pacific region of North America and Asia. 



