CrCADE.'E. GNETACEJE. . 211 



epidermis, so as to appear somewhat drupaceous. Endosperm copious, fleshy, or more 

 usually luird and bony. A'titbri/o usually solitary by abortion, minute, the radicle 

 continuous with the ])(rsistent suspensory thread. Cotyleduns 2, oblonf;, the plumule 

 distinct. Small trees with a thick sim])le or sometimes branched, often .scarred trunk, 

 or the trunk very sliort or altogether subterranean. Leaves usually pinnate, rarely 

 simply or doubly pinnatisect, of a very firm texture, and arising from and around the 

 apex of the trunk. Flow(^r-cones often peduncled, cylindrical or ovoid, terminal 

 or lateral. 



All species abound iii a mucilaginous nauseous juice, with which is often mixed 

 a gi'eat quantity of starch, which sometimes serves for food to the natives. 



CvcAs, Linnaus. 



Scales of ) lie male cones almost imbricate, more or less cuneate, and often produced 

 in an acumen, the under side covered with pollen-cells. Female spadlces loosely 

 imbricated round the top of the trunk, rather thick, narrowed into a shorter or longer 

 stalk, and more or less dilated above the ovules into an entire or pectinate blade. 

 Ovules \-p on each side of the carpeUary stalk, distant, alternate or opposite, more 

 or less immersed and almost erect. 



* Fruits ihnseli/ tomentose. 

 C. EEVOLIJTA. Coast of Tavoy (P.). 



* * Fi uits when ripe gluhruus. 

 \ Trunlc epigeous, Q-ZQ feet high. Ovules 2-5 on each side of tlie frond-stalk. 

 C. ciKciNALis. Limestone hills of Martaban (P.). 



Female spadices with a pectinate-toothed sterile lamina tapering to a pectinate tip. 

 C. RcMi'uir, Miq. Beach forests of Southern Tenasscrim. The Andanians. 



Mu-dain" Kamorta. KatchuU and Car Xicobar(K.). 



Female spadices with a sparingly toothed or almost entire sterile lamina, the tip 

 quite entire. 



The wood of this species is rich in sago, the seeds yield flour, and the stem 

 exudes a resiu used for dressing sores. 



C. PECTiNATA, Griff. 



Female spadices with a very broad, deeply pectinate, lacerate sterile lamina, the 

 tip entire. 



\ X Trunk hypogeous, or shortly protruding from the ground. Ovules solitary on 

 each side of the frond-stalk. 



C. SiAMENSis, Mill- Eng forests of Promc. 



Female spadices with a very broad, deeply jiectinate, lacerate, sterile lamina, 

 the acumen broad and as long as the lamina itsell', with a few spiny serratures. 



Exudes a whitish gum like tragacanth. 



From the pith of the stems of .some trees of this order a considerable ([uantity of 

 sago is prepared by simply grating and washing it. The seeds also yield a sort of 

 flour, and the mucilaginous sap of some species concretes into a gum resembling 

 tragacanth. 



Order GNETACEiE. 



Floicers in catkins, dioecious or monoecious, rarely polygamous. Bracts numerous, 

 very rarely distinct, but usually more or less connate into an entire cup, or into 

 a more or less deeply 2-lobed involucre. Male flowers: liractleis 2, connate, and 

 forming a perianth-like usually 2-lobed involucre to the anthers. Perianth none. 

 Stamen 1 or few inserted on the bottom of the involucre ; fllament simple or bitid 

 at the apex, or if several are present, connate at the base. Anthers 2-, very rarely 

 3-celled, opening by a terminal transverse slit or pore. Female flowers : Bractlets 2 



