AN ENCYCLOPADIA 
OF HORTICULTURE. $6 
Palme continued. 
from three to very many. The ovary is typically com- 
posed of three carpels, rarely of more; but, usually, 
only one grows to ripeness, and only the remains of the 
others are left in the ripe fruits. These vary greatly. 
In certain groups, they resemble berries; in others, they 
are more like drupes, with a hard inner layer, or endo- 
carp, as in the well-known Cocoa-nut and the Coquilla- 
nut, so often used for carved ornaments. The outer coat 
of the fruit is usually thin, leathery or dry, and smooth, 
or only bears prickles; but, in Calamee, it is covered 
with scales, arranged in spirals. The middle layer of 
the fruit (mesocarp) is usually traversed by woody 
Fig. 12. CARYOTA SOBOLIFERA, 
bundles, which, in some, are extremely abundant, and, 
in others, rather few and ill-developed. In the Cocoa- 
nut, this layer is very thick and fibrous, and, from it, 
« oir,” or fibre, for ropes, matting, &c., is prepared. In 
many Palms, the mesocarp contains oil in considerable 
quantity. The fruits of the “Oil Palm” (Hlaéis 
guineensis) yield so much that they form a valuable 
export from West Africa, for use in candle-making, &. 
There is usually only one ripe seed in each fruit, those 
in the abortive ovaries remaining undeveloped; but, 
Occasionally, two or more may ripen. The seeds are 
large, but the embryo is usually small, and ig synk in 
is white, or 
Palme continued. 
a pit in the large perisperm, or albumen. This latter 
may be streaked with brown. In some it 
is fleshy (Cocoa- nut), in others horny (Date); and in 
the “Ivory Palms” (Phytelephas) it is so compact and 
hard as to be very largely used as a substitute for real 
ivory, in the manufacture of billiard balls and many 
other articles. 
A noteworthy peculiarity of many Palms is that they 
have the stems, leaves, and even the spathes and fruits, 
covered with sharp prickles, usually of a dark colour, 
which form a most efficient defence against enemies. 
In some kinds (e.g., Astrocaryum Jauari, &c.), the 
prickles on the trunk may reach a length of nearly 1ft., 
and a breadth, at the base, of nearly 4in. In certain 
climbing Palms (species of Calamus and Desmoncus, for 
instance), the prickles are hooked, or so placed as to 
assist the plants in climbing; but aid in this is still more 
efficiently given in Desmoncus and a few Chamedorew 
by certain leafiets, near the end of the leaf, being 
altered to form strong, recurved hooks. Palmew are not 
very closely related to any other order: Juncacew seem, 
on the whole, most nearly allied to them. There are 
from 1100 to 1200 recorded species, though a consider- 
able number of these are not well known. They are 
almost confined to the tropics, extending beyond these 
limits in exceedingly reduced numbers. Chamerops 
humilis is the only species native in Europe, where it 
reaches 44deg. N. Lat. The limits of latitude elsewhere 
are about 34deg. N. in Asia, 36deg. N. in America, 
34deg. S. in Africa, 37deg. S. in 8. A in Chili, 
and 44deg. S. in New Zealand. i i 
The leading genera of Palms are e in this 25 
work, in so far as they are of interest to gardeners; 
they are too numerous to be repeated here; but 
several of the more important genera are referred to 
in this article. Among the richest in species are: 
Astrocaryum, Attalea, Bactris, Calamus, Carpota, 
Chamædorea, Cocos, Desmoncus, Geonoma, Hyphena, 
Korthalsia, Licuala, Livistona, Phenia. In addition to 
these, there are many genera that, despite the small 
number of species included in them, are of importance, 
either as greenhouse plants, or because of their useful 
products. The genera are almost confined to either the 
Old World or the New: Raphia, among Calamee, and 
Elaéis and Cocos, among Cocoine, alone breaking this 
rule, out of 132 genera recognised in Bentham and 
Hooker’s Ger Plantarum.” In each case, only one 
species is common to the two hemispheres. These species 
are Cocos nucifera (Cocoa-nut), Elaëis guineensis (Oil 
Palm), and Raphia vinifera. 
The uses of Palm-trees, and of their products, to 
natives of tropical lands, are far beyond what it is pos- 
sible for residents in temperate regions to conceive. 
The stems of some supply the timber used in building 
houses, or the laths for forming partitions; while the 
tough stems, or rind of the stems, of others supply 
strong cordage for binding together the beams, for chair- 
making, and for many other household purposes. The 
stems of others split, and each half hollowed, make 
aqueducts; and of others the South American Indians 
make their blow-pipes for shooting out poisoned arrows. 
The leaves are largely used for thatch, or for walls of 
houses; for making fans, umbrellas, household utensils, 
and even tents. From the young leaves of various species 
fibres are largely prepared, which are used for making 
hammocks and other durable articles. The leaf-blades 
of a few are used as paper in the East; and the fibres 
of several species are employed in paper-making. The 
coarse, woody bundles that surround the stems of two 
American Palms are used largely for making besoms, 
under the name Piassäba fibre.“ Two American Palms 
produce vegetable wax in such abundance as to be worth 
collecting for sale and export. In Cerorylon andicola, the 
