622 MONOKcr.v hexandria. Wrif/htea. 



Trunk scarcely any, until the plant blossoms, and then it 

 may be called the base of the spadix, rising- above the fi- 

 brous margined sheaths of the fronds. From the base nu- 

 merous shoots continue to spring, which renders propaga- 

 tion easy. Leaves oy fronds, few, alternate, petioled, from 

 three to eight feet long. Leaflets sessile, variously disposed; 

 on the lower half of the stipe they are generally in opposite 

 fascicles, of two or three, those further in are for the most part 

 single, and alternate ; all are wedge-shaped; lateral margins 

 entire, apices praemorse at very various distances from the 

 base, and jagged with the sharp points of the numerous pa- 

 rallel, fine fibres which run up through the substance of the 

 leaflets; upper surface smooth, of a shining deep green, whit- 

 ish underneath, general length about one foot or fifteen inches. 

 Petioles or stipes at the base, sheathing, the rest sub-cylindric, 

 tapering a little, while young covered a little with a large 

 portion of a brown mealy substance. Spadix terminal, many- 

 leaved. Leaflets of various sizes, and of a soft delicate, lea- 

 thery texture, striated lengthways, covered on the outside 

 with mealy matter, smooth on the inside, general length about 

 that of the spadix. Male flowers very numerous over 

 every part of the branches of the spadix, small, pale, of a yel- 

 lowish white. Perianth cylindric, one-leaved, almost solid, 

 there being only an excavation in the apex for the reception 

 of the corol ; margin marked with three small protuberances ; 

 smooth on both sides. Corol ; petals three, lanceolate, smooth, 

 fleshy. Nothing like a nectary, nor germ to be seen. Fila- 

 ments six, short, inverted on a small, hollow receptacle in the 

 centre of the corol. Anthers\me?iX. Female flowers few, 

 and amongst the male near the base of the branches of the 

 «padix. Perianth may be called double, in that case the ex- 

 terior one is of two, reniform leaflets ; the interior one one- 

 leaved, cup-shaped, with the border three-parted. Corol as 

 in the male. Stamina nothing like any, nor is there any 

 nectary. Germ superior, ovate, two, rarely three-lobed ; 

 two, rarely three-celled with one ovulum in each attached to 



