92 PALM TREES 



Genus Guilielma, Martins. 



Male and female flowers mixed in the same spadix, 

 bracteate. Spathe double; exterior bifid; interior 

 complete, woody. Male flowers with six stamens and 

 a rudimentary pistil. Female flowers with three sessile 

 stigmas, but with no rudiments of stamens. 



The stems are lofty, rather slender, and armed with 

 dense black cylindrical spines disposed in regular rings. 

 The leaves are terminal and pinnate, but in the young 

 plants entire, and the petioles are very spiny. The 

 spadices are simply branched, growing from beneath 

 the leaves, and the fruits are large, ovate, fleshy or 

 mealy and eatable. 



Three species only of this genus are known, inhabit- 

 ing the lower mountain ranges of Peru and New Gra- 

 nada. They are lofty and conspicuous Palms with a 

 remarkably handsome crown of foliage. One species 

 only is found in the Amazon district, in all parts of 

 which it is commonly cultivated. 



