CXXXTIII. PALM.?:. 811 



WosUnfjUmia flifcra, IT. Weiull, in Bot. Zeit. v. 37 (1879) p. 68. 

 A tree 20-40 ft. high, a native of Cahfornia, with circular fiabelliform 

 leaves, the segments separated half-A^ay down and the margins fringed 

 with numerous white threads (hence the specific name). The petioles 

 are armed with stout hooked marginal spines. The tree is of rapid 

 growth and bears the full sun in the dry air of the Deccan, where it 

 may be seen at Poona. Woodr. Grard. in Ind. ed. 5, p. 528. 



Licuala peltata, Eoxb. Fl. Ind. v. 2 (1832) p. 179. A dwarf palm 

 introduced by JNimmo (Jicle Graham), a native of Chittagong, Birma, 

 and the Andamans, with a trunk 6-12 ft. high, sometimes thicker in the 

 upper portion owing to the persistent petiole-bases. Leaves nearly 

 orbicular, 3-5 ft. in diam., peltate, horizontal, divided almost to the 

 petiole into 16-20 cuneate segments, plaited and 6-10-toothed at the 

 apex ; petiole about 6 ft. long, the sides armed with strong, sharp, 

 smooth, recurved spines. Spadix erect, longer than the leaves, simply 

 branched, densely covered with greenish-white flowers. Drupe i in. 

 long, ellipsoid, red. Fl. B. I. v. 6, p. 430 ; Grab. Cat. p. 225 ; AVoodr. 

 Gard. in Ind. ed. 5, p. 524; Brain, Beng. PL p. 1091 ; Brandis, Ind. 

 Trees (1906) p. 656 ; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 4, p. 639. 



Borasstis fahelUfer, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) p. 1187. The Palmyra or 

 Brah Tree, a native of Tropical Africa, cultivated and sometimes self- 

 sown. Trunk attains 100 ft. high and 2 ft. in diam. near the ground, 

 wdth a dense mass of long rootlets, often swollen above the middle, when 

 young covered with dry leaves or the bases of petioles, when old marked 

 with the black narrow scars of the latter. Leaves 3-5 ft. in diam. ; 

 segments 60-80, shining, folded along the midrib, linear-lanceolate ; 

 petioles 2-4 ft. long, semiterete, the margins with hard spinescent 

 serratures. Plowers dioecious. Spadix very large, simply branched, 

 sheathed with numerous open spatlies. Male plowers small ; spikes 

 1-3 at the ends of the branches, cylindric, densely clothed with imbri- 

 cating bracts ; numerous minute secund spikelets concealed by the bracts 

 so as to appear immersed in the spike, the flowers coming to the surface 

 one by one as they successively open. Stamens 6 ; filaments connate 

 with the corolla into a stalk. Pemale elowees larger, globose, 1 in. in 

 diam.; perianth fleshy, greatly accrescent. Sepals imbricate. Petals 

 smaller, convolute. Staminodes 6-9. Ovary 3-4-celled. Pruit a large 

 snbglobose browai drupe 6 in. in diam. or more, with 1-3 obcordate 

 fibrous pyrenes, enclosed by the enlarged perianth. Seeds oblong, 

 3-lobed at the top ; albumen uniform, hollow. PL B. I. v. 6, p. 482 ; 

 Trim. PL Ceyl. v. 4, p. 336 ; Talb. Trees, Bomb. ed. 2, p. 343 ; Woodr. in 

 Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) p. 427; Praiu, Beng. PL p. 1092; 

 Brandis, Ind. Trees (1906) p. 657. Borassus Jfahellifonnis, Murr. Syst. 

 ed. 13 (1774) p. 827; Grab. Cat. p. 226; Dalz. & Gibs. p. 278; Watt, 

 Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 1, p. 495. — Flowers: Mar .-Apr. Vern. Tad; 

 Tddi: Tar. 



Cultivated throughout India. Every part of the plant is utilized. A 

 gum is obtained from it ; the wood is hard, heavy and durable, and used 

 for water-pipes and channels and for posts, rafters, &c. ; the leaves are 

 used for thatching, for mats and for writing on ; the cut flower-stalks 



