Saijnerns. monoecia polyanduia. 627 



dze and ;«gc, these thop off, leaving- an elegant, columnar, 

 naked trunk, as described by lluuipbius. The whole height 

 of the largest of the trees in the Botanic garden, including 

 the leaves, about forty feet; the trunk rises fifteen or twenty 

 feet, and the rest is made up by the fronds or leaves alone. 

 Fronds pinnate, from fifteen to twenty-five feet long. Leaf- 

 /e^N' sessile, approximated, numerous, opposite, also alternate, 

 sword-shaped, their greatest breadth being near the base ; 

 a blunt barbed process on one, or both sides of the base, 

 accounts for their greatest breadth being there ; numerous 

 parallel fibres run lengthways on each side of the large, 

 middle, four-sided nerve ; these end in acute, spinous points 

 on each s^ide, and as the breadth contracts most towards the 

 apex, these sharp points are there more niimerous ; the apex 

 is prapmorsc, or variously ragged, with the same pohits; the 

 upper surface smooth, of a shining deep green; the under 

 side is clothed with much ash-coloured, mealy matter, which 

 is firmly attached to the substance of the leaflets; the length 

 from three to five feet, the greatest breadth from four to five 

 inches. Stipes with broad, stem-clasping bases, fringed with 

 a very large portion of strong black fibres, like coarse black 

 horse hair, intermixed with firm twigs, not unlike long, slen- 

 der porcupine's quills ; these serve to make their adhesion 

 to the trunk more firm. Above they become three-sided, 

 tapering', pretty smooth, except for a portion of mealy mat- 

 ter with which they are covered, till it is removed by fric- 

 tion. Length below the leaflets from four to six feet, leaflet- 

 bearing portion from twelve to twenty (eet. Spathe of many 

 sbort imbricated leaflets, entirely covering the base or un- 

 divided part of the spadix. Spad'ix pendulous, branchy, 

 from above six to ten feet long. In general they issue singly 

 from the middle of the base of the stipes. Branches numer- 

 ous, and simple, all perfectly pendulous. Male flowers 

 numerous, occupying the lower spadices, without any mix- 

 ture of female ones, and then in pairs, they are large, and the 

 anthers loaded with pollen ; sometimes they are mixed with 



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