137. PALMACE.J^. [1. Caryota. 



B, Xieaves flabelliform or palmatelj' divided : — 



1. Flowers 2-sexua1 :— 



a. Ovary 3-lobed. Very large palms . . . .6. Cvrypha, 

 h. Ovary of 3 free carpels sometimes cohering in the 

 styles :— 



Carpels 3-gonoiis. Style filiform . . , .7. Licnafa. 



Carpels globose. Styles 3 8. Livistoiia. 



2. Flowers dioecious. Fern, very large: — 



M. fl. sunk in cavities of the large cylindric branches of 



the spadix • . 0. Borassus. 



II. Leaves scattered. Stem often scaudent. Fruit covered with 

 closely imbricating scales : — 

 Spathes tubular at least below. Fern, fi, sessile on the spike . 10. Calamus. 

 Spathes at first enclosing the inner ones, then open, outermost 



deciduous. Fern. fl. with a bracteate stipes .... 11. Vcemonorops. 



Many palms occasionally cultivated in gardens are omitted. 



1. CARYOTA, L. 



Erect, sometimes tall, palms with very large 2-pinnate or 2-pinnati- 

 sect leaves and obliquely dimidiately flabelliform, or cuneiform 

 leaflets, petiolules or bases swollen at their insertion. " Flowering 

 from the upper leaf -sheaths and successively downwards,'' alternately 

 male and female or androgynous. Spathes 3-5, incompletely tubular. 

 Spadices interfoliar, shortly peduncled, much fastigiately branched ; 

 branches slender, pendulous. Fls. monoecious solitary and male, 

 or 3-nate with the intermediate female. Sepals 3 rounded, imbricate. 

 Male petals 3 linear-oblong, valvate, stamens numerous, filaments 

 short, anthers long. Fem. fl. subglobose, petals 3 rounded, valvate, 

 ovary 3-celled, stigma 3-lobed. Ovules erect. Fruit globose, 1-2- 

 seeded, stigma terminal. Seeds erect, albumen ruminate. Embryo 

 dorsal. 



Trunk solitary, tall. Spadix 8-10 ft. St. 40-50 .... I. urens. 

 Trunks several (soboliferous), low. Spadix 4-5 ft. Stamens 



about 15-25 2, mills. 



1. C. urens, L. Mari, H. ; Salapo, Or. ; Indian Sago Palm. 



A rather stout but very beautiful palm 30-50 ft. high with trunk 

 slightly ringed. Easily recognised by its immense 2-pinnate leaves 

 15-20 ft. long with leaflets shaped somewhat like those of the Maiden- 

 hair fern but 4-8" long and pra^morsely jagged, oblique with the 

 upper margin produced and caudate. 



Deep ravines in the Saitba forest, now unfortunately^ nearly extinct (once 

 frequent near Tula) ! Fairly common in some parts of the Mais of Orissa {e.g. the 

 Tamna forest) ! Sometimes i^lanted. Fl. April-Ang. 



L. 10-12 ft. broad, petiole very stout and old sheaths reticulate. Spathes I'o ft. 

 Spadix 8-10 ft. long, the branches all reaching nearly the same level (corymbose 

 but drooping). Flowers a female between two males. Males '5" long or more, 

 cylindric in bud and about three times as long as broad, stamens about 40-45. 

 Fruit globose '75" diam., acrid. 



The fibre of the leaf-sheaths is used. The pith yields a good sago which fact has 

 lai-gely caused the destruction of the tree. The inflorescence is tapped for toddy. 



2. C. mitis, Lour. 



Only found in gardens in our area with soboliferous stems 12-25 ft. high. L. and 

 inflorescence smaller. M. fl. '25" long, st. 15-25. Fruit '5" diam. 



879 



