254 



4. Areca triandra, Eoxb. Hort. Beng. 68. 



Stem. — Soboliferous, producing several stron«i- stems, aiinnlate, 

 internodes fairly wide apart, green, up to 15 ft. in height, dia- 

 meter 1-1| inches. Leaves 3 to 4 ft.- long, spreading, light green; 

 leaflets 1^ to 3 feet long, 1 to 3 inches broad, linear lanceolate, 

 acuminate, upper leaflets confluent producing a broad, praemorse 

 pair of pinnae; nerves 2 or 3 in all but the top pair in which there 

 are up to 7. Spathe 1 foot or more in length. Spndix shortly 

 pedunclcd, np to 1 foot in length over all, branches many, pani- 

 culate. j]fale foivcrs small, disposed in two rows ; sepals 3, small; 

 petals larger than sepals; stamens 3. Female flowers 1-3 at base 

 of branches of spadix or in the axils, larger than male; sepals 

 shorter than petals, small. Fruit about the size of an olive, orange 

 coloured eventually scarlet, upwards of 1 inch in length, |" in 

 diameter at middle, cllijisoid, tapering to base, truncate at apex, 

 beaked. 



Habitat. — India. 



This plant is easily distinguished from the other species of 

 Areca in the Gardens collection, on account of its soboliferous habit, 

 the others all being single stemmed. Several specimens may be 

 seen in the Palm Valley, it lieing quite an ornamental plant. 



2. PiXAXGA, Blume. 



Single or many stemmed palms, often jiroducing good strong 

 clumps, varying in height from 2 ft. in some species to 12 ft. or 

 more in others, unarmed. Stem erect, annulate. Leaves pinnate 

 with the npper leaflets confluent, more rarely entire; leaflets vary 

 in length and breadth fairly considerably in different species. In- 

 florescence produced below tlie foliage. Spathe varying in size 

 from 1 in. to over 1 ft., solitary. Spadix branched ; flowers 

 arranged distichously or spirally, one female between two males. 

 Male flowers symmetric ; sejials acute, keeled, not imbricate ; petals 

 ovate or lanceolate, valvate ; stamens 6 or more ; anthers erect, 

 aflfixed by base. Female flowers mnch smaller, ovoid or globose, 

 sepals and petals orbicular; ovary 1-celled, stigmas 3; ovule basal, 

 erect. Fruit drupe, ovoid or elliptic. Albumen ruminate. 



Species about 50. India, Malay Archipelago. 

 In the Gardens 7 species. 



Thvarf palms — up to 4ft. in height. 



Leaves broad as long . . . . , . 1. P. disticha 



Leaves twice as long as broad . . . . 2. P. suhruminafa 



Tall i^alms — up to TO ft. in height. 

 Stems I to 1^ inches in diameter. 



Leaflets numerous . . . . . . 3. /'. malaiana 



Leaflets few. 



Leaflets linear or linear lanceolate 4. P. riparia 

 Leaflets sigmoidly lanceolate . . 5. P. patula 



