72 



natural interlacing of the leaf-bases, and gives the trunk the 

 peculiar appearance of being encased in a kind of regular basket- 

 work (see Fig. — ). This unique chcvcaux dc frisc remains upon 

 the trunk until the latter has attained the height of ten or twenty 

 feet. (See Figs. 1. 3, 4.) 



The underground portion of the stem is scarcely less inter- 

 esting. It consists of a short, pointed, knob-like stem surrounded* 

 by a dense mass of contorted roots, this mass often being 4 to 5 

 feet in diameter and 5 to 6 feet deep. From it tough, light- 

 orange-colored roots, often nearly half an inch in diameter, pene- 

 trate the soil for a distance of 15 to 20 feet. According to See- 

 mann, "the roots contain a considerable quantity of tannin." 



The wood is light, soft, pale-brown, with numerous hard fibro- 

 vascular bundles. The outer rim is about two inches thick, and 

 is much lighter and softer than the interior. The inner pithy 

 portion of young trees is starchy and edible. In the Southern 

 States the trunks are used, because of their great durability for 

 wharf-piles. Polished cross-sections of the stem sometimes 

 serve for the tops of small tables. The wood is largely manu- 

 factured into canes. Pieces of the spongy bark and stem are 

 sometimes used as a substitute for scrubbing brushes. 



Palms may be grouped in two classes, dependent upon the 

 shape of the leaf, — feather-shaped or pinnate, including the date 

 palm, royal palm, wine palm, and others; fan-sha])cd or palmate, 

 including the silver ])alm, Hawaiian palms, and others. The 

 palmettos belong to this latter group. The stout stem is sur- 

 mounted by a crown of fan-shaped spreading leaves (see Figs. 

 1, 2). They are at first upright, then spreading nearly at right 

 angles with the stem, and finally pendulous. The leaves are dark, 

 lustrous green in color, and tough and leathery in texture. The 

 blade is 5 to 6 feet long and 7 to 8 feet broad. It is divided into 

 many narrow, long-pointed, parted segments or lobes. Each 

 segment is folded at the base. The margins of these segments 

 are often fringed with long threads. The midrib extends nearly 

 to the center of the leaf. The petiole is 6 to 7 feet long, and has 

 at its base a shining, chestmit-brown sheath of strong fibers (sec 

 Fig. 5). 



The Cabbage Palmetto grows, as do all palms, from a large 

 central, terminal bud. This bud is the "cabbage" of the ]xilm, 

 and because of its succulence and tenderness is cooked and eaten 

 as a vegetable. The removal of this growing point of course 

 kills the tree. Coarse hats, mats, and baskets are made from 

 the light-colored immature leaves. I'rom the sheaths of young- 

 leaves are obtained the liristles for certain kinds of scrubbing 

 brushes (see Fig. 3). The mature leaves are sometimes used 

 as thatch. 



The flowering branches emerge from among the leaves. They 

 are 2 to 2^> feet long, with many slender, incurved branches. 

 These branches arc i)r()fusely covcrc(l witli small y^'llnw ish or 



