III.] PALMACEM. 301 



Differing principally from the Pine Family in the simple 

 stem, marked with the scars of fallen leaves, the structure 

 of the wood, and the pinnate leaves. 



The scales of the male cones, which correspond to single 

 anthers of ordinary flowers, bear upon their under surface 

 very numerous, scattered, and clustered cells containing 

 pollen-grains. The ovules are borne upon the margins of 

 tlie scales of the female cones. From the seeds of an 

 Indian species commonly planted in IMalabar and Ceylon a 

 useful flour is obtained, which is used by the poorer natives. 

 From the pith of some other species a coarse sago is col- 

 lected. Fossil remains indicate that Cycadeous plants were 

 very abundant in Europe at the time of the deposition of the 

 chalk, and during the early tertiary period. They are now 

 principally confined to Mexico, South Africa, and Australia. 

 Our Type-species of the Family is a northern outher at the 

 present period, native in China and Japan. 



MONOCOTYLEDONS. 

 SPADICIFLORiE. 



95. Natural Order, Pahnacece. — The Palm Family. 



Stem woody. Perianth six-leaved. Leaves pinnately or 

 palmately divided. 



Type — Cocoa-nut Palm {Cocos nucifera). 



A tall, unbranched tree, with a terminal plume of large, 

 pinnate leaves, much-branched spadices of small, monoecious 

 flowers from the axils of the outer leaves of the crown, and 

 large fruits (Cocoa-nuts), with a fibrous epicarp. 



Observe the germination of a Palm, the sheathing por- 

 tion of the cotyledon often penetrating, at the expense of 

 the large store of albumen, to a considerable depth in the 

 soil before the development of the plumule : the woody stem, 



