812 CXXXA^III. PALM.E. 



yield sugar and when fermented a country liquor ; the fruit is roasted 

 imd eaten. See Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. 1. e. 



Cocos nucifem, Linn. Sp. PI. (1753) p. 1188. The Cocoa-nut Tree. 

 An unarmed moiiooeious palm. Trunk 40-80 ft. high, annulate, 

 thickened at the hase, with a mass of rootlets. Leaves 6-15 ft. long ; 

 leaflets equidistant, 2-3 ft. long, linear-lanceolate coriaceous ; petioles 

 3-5 ft. long, stout. S|)adix 4-6 ft. long, stout, androgynous, at length 

 drooping, simply panicled ; branches bearing scattered female flowers 

 (often between 2 males) towards their bases and numerous males above. 

 Lower spathes 2-3 ft. long, oblong, hard, splitting lengthwise. Male 

 rLOWEBS unsymmetric. Sepals small, valvate. Petals | in. long, oblong, 

 acute, valvate. Stamens 6 ; filaments subulate ; anthers linear erect. 

 Pistillode minute or 0. Female tlowehs larger than the male, 1 in. 

 long, ovoid, supported by broad bracteoles. Perianth accrescent. 

 Sepals 1 in. in diam., round, concave, imbricate. Petals shorter than 

 the sepals, convolute, with imbricate tips. Fruit 8-12 in. long, 3- 

 gonously obovoid or subglobose, green or yellowish ; pericarp thick, 

 librous ; endocarp bony, with 3 basal pores indicating the 3 cells of the 

 ovary ; albumen lining the endocarp, the cavity large, filled with a sweet 

 somewhat milkv fluid known as Cocoa-mit milk. Fl. B. I. v. 6, p. 482 ; 

 Grab. Cat. p. 225; Dak. & Gibs. p. 279; Talb. Trees, Bomb. ed. 2, 

 p. 342; Woodr. in Journ. Bomb. Nat. v. 13 (1901) p. 427 ; Prain, Beng. 

 PL p. 1095 ; Watt, Diet. Econ. Prod. v. 2, p. 415.— Flowers : throughout 

 the year. Vern. Nard. 



Planted throughout the Presidency especially near the sea-coast, where it 

 grows better than inland ; in fact it is rarely seen at any distance from 

 the coast in Bombay. Its native country is a matter of uncertainty ; it 

 is sa'd to be indigenous in Cocos Island and the North Andamans. The 

 uses to which the Cocoa-nut palm is put are amazingly numerous. In 

 AVatt's 'Dictionary of Economic Products ' a list is given of various 

 articles prepared from the tree exhibited by Mr. Pereira, Head Assistant 

 to the Medical Storekeeper, Bombay, at the Colonial and Indian 

 Exhibition. 



The articles exhibited numbered no less than 83. The fibrous pericarp 

 yields coir which is used for ropes, mats, &c., and exported largely. 

 The oil from the nuts is an important article of trade, used for burning, 

 cooking, the manufacture of soap, &c. The sap is drawn regularly from 

 the trees and allowed to ferment and used thus as a beverage or after- 

 wards distilled to make arrack. 



The ripe cocoa-nuts are largely exported as an article of food. For 

 an exhaustive account of the cocoa-nut industry, see Watt, Econ. 

 Prod. 1. c. 



Cocos plumosa, Hook. Bot. IMag. t. 5180. A very graceful palm, a 

 native of Brazil, introduced recently into the Bombay Presidency and 

 \\ell worthy of a place in gardens. 



The plant has a straight stem and very long pinnate leaves recurved 

 at the end forming a graceful plume. AVoodr. Gard. in Ind. ed. 5, 

 p. 522. 



