2. Areca.] 137. PALMACEM. 



2. ARECA, L. 



Slender, often tall palms with annulate stems and a crown of pinnate 

 leaves. Spadices infrafoliar (from axils of fallen leaves), branched. Male 

 fl. 1-2-nate, many towards the ends of the branches, minute, sepals 

 small, petals obliquely lanceolate, valvate. Stamens 3 or 6, anthers 

 basifixed, erect, Fem. fl. much larger, few at the base of the branches 

 of the spadix, sepals and petals orbicular, imbricate, accrescent, ovary 

 1 -celled, stigmas 3 sessile. Ovule basal erect. Fruit a coriaceous 

 drupe with a single seed with truncate base and ruminate albumen. 

 Embryo basilar. 



1. A. catechu, L. C4ua, *S'., Beyig. ; Supari, H. : The Areca or Betel- 

 nut Palm. 

 A very graceful ]ialm with a slender trunk 40-70 ft. high but only 

 6" more or less in diam., very straight and uniform. Leaves 4-6 ft. 

 with numerous leaflets 1-2 ft. long, upper imperfectly separated. 

 Spathe glabrous, compressed. Spadix much branched, rhachis stout 

 compressed, branches with filiform tips bearing more or less distichous 

 minute male flowers A\ith 6 stamens. Fem. solitary at the base and 

 axils of the branches, sepals -3" ovate, obtuse; petals subsimilar, 

 staminodes 6, connate. Fruit ovoid 1*5-2", smooth, orange or scarlet. 



Everywhere cultivated in the open village lands, sncceeding best in the moister 

 districts. 

 Yields the Betel nut. 



3. COCOS, L. 



Unarmed palms with (in our species) tall trunk and pinnate or 

 pinnatisect leaves Avith narrow leaflets, FloAvers monoecious on 

 simply panicled erect, at length drooping interfoliar spadices, the 

 branches bearing scattered fem. flowers, often between two males 

 towards their bases and males above. Spathes 2 or more, lower 

 short, upper fusiform or clavate. ]M. fl. unsymmetric, sepals small, 

 valvate, petals oblong acute, valvate, stamens 6, anthers linear, 

 erect, pistillode minute or 0. Fem. fl, usually much larger, ovoid, 

 perianth greatly accrescent ; sepals imbricate, petals convolute with 

 imbricate tips. Ovary 3-celled, cells Avith short style and recurved 

 stigmas. Ovule 1 in each cell, sub-basilar. Fruit large, ovoid, 

 terete or trigonous, 1 -seeded, Avith thick fibrous pericarp and bony 

 or stony endocarp Avith 3 basal pores (the remains of the 3 cells). 

 Seed adhering to the endocarp, albumen solid or hollow. Embryo 

 opposite one pore. 



A genus of some 30 species, several of which are now inti-oduced into p^ardens 

 but only the following is at present important in our area, 



1. C. nucifera, L. Nariyal, narikel (the tree or ripe fruit), dab (the 

 immature fruit), Vern. The Coco- or cocoa-nut (also in com- 

 merce, cokernut). 

 A beautiful palm (50-90 ft. high Avith straight or sinuous stems and 

 a crown of feathery leaves 8-20 ft. long Avith numerous close equi- 

 distant linear or linear-lanceolate leaflets 2-3 ft. long. Spadix 



880 



