434 



a dual role, at first that of enclosing tlie tender spadices and later 

 when open protecting them from rain. The spadix is almost the 

 same length as the spathe and bears numerous simple branches, 

 arranged more or less spirally, the longest of which does not exceed 

 1 foot. The peduncle is about 2 inches thick, is somewhat flattened 

 and the upper half only bears the flowering branches. The laUer 

 are more or less uniform in length and are quite thin. Flowers are 

 produced in large (|uantities on the spadix and are yellowish in 

 colour, 'Sometimes a spadix bears either all male or else all female 

 flowers, in which ease the spadix is dioecious : and sometimes a spadix 

 ])roduees separately both male and female flowers, in which case it 

 is monoecious, rjccasionally a few hermaphrodite flowers make 

 their appearanc-e. The male flowers are considerably smaller than 

 the females and in monoecious spathes are home on the upper parts 

 of the spadix-branches wdiile the female flowers are borne on the 

 lower parts. The fruit is ovoid and large being about 2-| inches 

 lon<» and proportionately broad. A small projection occurs at the 

 apex which originally bore the stigmas of the female flowers : the 

 outer skin or pericarp is fibrous and woody, while the inner skin or 

 endocarp is very hard and bony. These enclose the seed or aiut 

 which contains an oil of considerahle value. 



IlahiMt. The native habitat of this palm is in tropical 

 America: in British Hoduras, it covers huge areas in the form of 

 a natural stand. It is found in low lying parts and produces 

 enormous quantities of fruits. 



Uses. iSo far the ])alm has not been ])ut to any extensive use. 

 Beyond its local uses it does not yet rank in importance with its 

 relatives the Coconut and Oil Palm. A note in the Annals of 

 Botany XTT p. Ifi5, mentions the use of the C'ohune i^ut in the 

 coagulation of rubljer. By exposing a thin layer of Para or Ceara 

 latex to the action of the smoke from the burning shells coagulation 

 is immediately brought about. In this case the species mentioned 

 is Attalea excelsa: ,but doubtless Attalea Cohnne can serve the same 

 jnirpose. 



The following is an extract from the Gardeners' Chronicle 

 (LXVIII. 1920, p. 211) and vseems worthy of repetition for the 

 peep behind the scenes and because it emphasises the important 

 ))art which science played in the Great War. 



"Attalea Coliune — the hard shell of the Cohune Nut of Hon- 

 duras, the fruit of the Manaca Palm, was found when carbonised to 

 give ]:»rotection against poison gases in the war.'' 



Eksults of Aisr Analysis of the ]S[ut and the Difficulties in 

 Oil Extraction. 



A careful analysis of the seeds has been made at the Im- 

 perial Institute and the results are recorded in the Bulletin of 

 the Imperial Institute (1913). The conclusion arrived at is that 

 as an oil palm AttaJea Coliiine is a very valuable plant. The ana- 

 lysis showed that "Cohune kernels" yield about the same per- 



