162 THE PLANT WORLD 



of this and otlier Antilles. It is found in all parts of the island, a con- 

 stant reminder to the northern ^dsitor that he is indeed in a strange 

 land. Generallj' 50 to 80 feet high, wdth straight trunk gracefully swel- 

 ling at the middle, bearing at the top a huge tuft of feathery, spreading 

 leaves, from among which springs the slender and sharp central shoot. 

 It is probably the most useful native treee, but its value for ornamental 

 purposes, in judicious combination with exogenous plants, can hardly 

 be overestimated. It was formerly much used to line the avenues lead- 

 ing to planters' mansions, and the perspective effect of those long, 

 straight rows of slender white shafts, topped wdth tufts of dark green 

 plumes, is strikingly beautiful. The leaves are everywhere employed 

 as, thatch in the country, while their broad sheathing base is a popular 

 substitute for boarding and sacking. The central shoot, like that of the 

 Palmetto of the Southern States, furnishes an excellent salad, and is 

 often cut off for that purpose, although the life of the tree is thereby 

 sacrificed. The outside wood of the trunk is much used in rural dis- 

 tricts, and the thick clusters of seeds are eaten with avidity by swine.* 

 Oreodoxa oleracea, distinguished from the preceding by the greater 

 altitude of the even, unexpanded trunk, is also said to be in Cuba, but 

 I doubt if these two species are really distinct. 



The cocoanut {Cocos nucifera), is, of course, a very familiar object; 

 being planted in groves in low rich ground, where, under favorable cir- 

 cumstances, it produces fruit all the year round. 



The carojo {Cocos aispa), a native species with somewhat the aspect 

 of the royal palm, is more ornamental than useful, although the small 

 plum-like fruit is eatable and palatable. 



Of the several species of the native palms, still much in need of 

 study and definition, perhaps the most interesting is the miraguano or 

 yarey {Tliriiiax argentea), which furnishes a very useful fibre. The 

 trunk of the Palma Barrigona [Colpothriiiax WrigJiHi), of Pinar del Rio, 

 is abruptly expanded at the middle, and made to answer the purpose of 

 barrel, box, hive, etc. In the Palma Barrigona de Sierra (Ganssia jjriu- 

 ceps), also common in Pinar del Rio, the large, hollow expansion is at 

 the base of the trunk. 



Of imported cultivated species, Latania borboriica is seen in all 

 houses and patios, and occasionally in arborescent form in gardens. 

 The fishtail palm {Garyota urens), found in many gardens, is strikingly 

 effective when it reaches arboreal size, with semi-erect, spreading 

 branches and long, drooping fruit clusters; but this climate is too dry 

 for its best development. 



^[Compare in this connection Mr. William Palmer's article on "Cuban Uses of 

 the Royal Palm," published in our June issue. — Ed.] 



