48 CONTRIBUTIONS TO WESTERN BOTANY NO. 15 



wiiich 



form 



tapering to a foot in 

 When la a state of 



trm 



the individual leaves do not appear. This sheath is 4-S feet thick, and 

 often 20 feet long. When the leaves have been cut off for thatch or by 

 fire there is no certain way of identifying this variety'. The leaf blades 

 are 3-4 feet long, usually a little shorter than the ver>' stout petioles. Jht 

 blades split into many narrow blades that droop at the tip, but blades 

 never split to the middle. This form is conspicously filiferous, the divis- 

 ions tapermg gra<iuany to the tip. The petioles are inclined to terminate 

 ir\ tnangular-acuminate prolongations into the leaf-blade, but vary greatly 

 ar.d the margins are hoolced-prickly with stout and dark spines throughout 

 or only below. The petioles are mosfly 2-3 inches wide and an inch Ihick 

 and .unate m cross-section. Many plants are dioeciou.s, many monoecious, 

 i he globose-oblong fruits are hardly 4 mm. wide. The flowers are home 

 Ji .on, -and mterrupted panicles, in which the fruits droop, having alte-nat- 

 fher.th-hke bracts subtending each panicle, which bracts are tightly fittin-r 

 and smooth and 1-2 feet long and 2-3 inches wide. The whole flower 

 c U' ter IS often 4-8 feet long and drooping. The nearly round peduncle 

 m-^.k^'s good canes. The leaves are universally used for thatch, which fart 

 acco:Tnts_ for_ the wide distribution of the species. The trunks often reach 

 /^ leet m hight, and then are seldom over 6 inches thick. They are v-rv 



rnr'l^' t/ f""", "'^^^^ [^ ^^ ^"^- ^he wood is Very heavy, but 



.re tWfl^' f ' ''! f ^"^ l^' ^"^y ^^^"^Sht timber in the count^ and 

 ?rc therefore much used for rafters, house timbers, and corral poles. B-t 



th^\ZeTlln1^\^T f^'^ ^"'° P^^^- The rootlets produced from 

 bte Tertiary age. 



occurrin 



24 1 /7V .t^PH llfT- f w^'rJ'^ ^^- ^^'^''^ (Linden 111. Hort. Lem. 

 ^^ ioJ/ as rntchardia) Wendl Bot Zpit ^7 i^a ik'70 ; u ^i • j • 

 KfWio^raDhv hnfh h. W...I .:f?li ir'^' V r ^^P '"^ badly mLxed la 



Watson 



, . '"•"^"J' ""^^ "^ vvaxson ana tne Kew Index. I am not Dreoared to 

 mamtam its distinctness from Pritchardia sinrP T ^n ^^7 P/^Paredto 

 of that genn.s. T tT,.r.f..„ ..Z.l ./ . ^^,f ""^^ \^? not know the species 



^iJ/^^nfX^'''''^- *^^ Wendlend is right in its separa- 

 ,i^!!: ^1"^ °/,*^ '^'?'\'^ ^ot the magnificeSt form (robusta) 



into cultivation. 



^^-« uui d Menaer tree which grows in the canons c 

 ifornia and which seems to have first been introduce 



rvM r f *'', ^°™ ^'^ ^^^^^"^ 2 feet in diamete 

 lyation and rarely reach six inches wnde at the tit 



]Ta^ r^^'l 1™ ^\'f ^^ ^^ relatively short leave 

 long) , which when old hang do^vn and form a ragge 

 look at, where the individual leaves are conspicuous 



droop so mud 



eskll -^^ Si;&te^ 



Washin 



form in thf^ QAntT^At-.^ ^.,^* Jir t . ^ ,.. 



