Phoenix. dioecia iiexandria. 787 



raised thousands from seed in the Botanic garden, many 

 of which I have tried to bring- to perfection there, and have 

 distributed others over many parts of the country. The 

 greatest advance that I have yet known, has been that some 

 male trees lived to blossom, soon after which they have uni- 

 formly perished. 



Captain Benjamin Blake who was lately at Bussora informs 

 me that he used frequently to walk in these date gardens, 

 and observed their method of impregnating the J'emale flow- 

 ers, which was by making a slit in the spathe a little before 

 it would burst spontaneously, and thrusting into it a branch, 

 or a part, of the male spadix, where it w as left. This he says, 

 was the whole of the operation, and it appears a much more 

 certain method, than hanging the male branch over the fe- 

 male. 



4. P. sylvestris. R. 



Leaflets in sub-opposite fascicles, ensiform, spinous-point- 

 ed, pointing four Avays. 



Katou-indel. Rheed. Mai, iii. t. 22. 23. 24. and 25. 



Teling. Pedda-eita. 



Sans. Khurjura. 



Betif/. Khwjjoor. 



Elate sylvestris. Linn. 



This tree is very common all over India, all soils and situa- 

 tions seem to suit it equally well. Flowering time the begin- 

 ning of the hot season. 



Its parts of fructification are exactly as in V.farinifera, 

 except that here are six small nectarial scales round the base 

 of the germs. But it differs from it most conspicuously in 

 growing to be a tree with a long, pretty thick trunk, and hav- 

 ing longer yellowish or reddish fruit. This tree yields Tari^ 

 or Palm wine during the cold season. The method of ex- 

 tracting it destroys the appearance and fertility of the tree. 

 The fruit of those that have been cut for drawing off the 

 juice being very small. 



4U2 



