Areca. monofxia hfxandria. 617 



apices. Spaclir axillary, ramous, retrofracted, branches 

 thereof with alternate, distichous fascicles of two male, and 

 one female flowers, the former polyandrous, the latter with a 

 six-horned nectary. Fruit oblong. 



A native of the mountains of Malabar, where it was found 

 by Dr. Dickson, both in flower and ripe fruit in the month of 

 August. It grows to the height of about sixteen or eighteen 

 feet, with a very straight, simple trunk, of about two inches 

 in diameter. 



Leaves pinnate, about four feet long, with extremities bi- 

 furcate, like the tail of a swallow. Leaflets sessile, linear, 

 ribbed, with numerous parallel veins, apices praemorse, den- 

 tate ; from twelve to twenty lour inches long. Spathe sim- 

 ple. Spadix compound, retrofracted ; ramifications from 

 four to eight, alternate, simple, equal, distichous; from six 

 to eight inches long. Floicers numerous, approximate, al- 

 ternate in two exactly opposite rows, a single female in the 

 centres, with a single male on each side. Male flowers. 

 Calyx three-cleft, division subulate, nearly as long as the 

 corol. CoroL petals three, cordate, with slender tapering- 

 apices. Filaments very short. Anthers from twenty to thirty, 

 linear. Female flowers. Calyx of three reniform leaflets. 

 Corol like the calyx. Jfectary, six clavate, hairy headed 

 scales. Germ superior. Style short. Stigma three-lobed. 

 Beiry oblong, dry and fibrous, about an inch long, by half 

 an inch in diameter. AVf? of the shape of the beri7, rumi- 

 nated. Embryo lodged in the base. 



Mr. Dickson, the Surgeon at Bedanore, who first brought 

 the plant under my observation, observes that the nut is 

 used by the poorer people, as a substitute for the common 

 Areca, but no other part of the tree is turned to any useful 

 purpose. 



3. A. triandra. R. 



Arboreous, stoloniferous. Fronds pinnate ; leajleii com- 

 VOL. HI. ^^ 



