166 
Cocos. 
Cocos nana, Griff. 
Habit and appearance exactly like that of C. nucifera, the 
foliage, and the canvas-like rete being the same 
But the stature, at least that of the stem, is iE and thei in- 
florescence, and nuts are also so small, that it well merits the 
. name of dwarf Cocoanut. 
Spadix before opening fusiform, ligneous, with long deep 
snow, beautifully representing the plicate appearance of a 
very young leaf. 
Spatha, at least the inner and larger (subsequent to dehis- 
cence) posticous! coriaceo-ligneous, boat-shaped. 
Spadix about the length of the spatha, with many simple 
rather zig-zag subulate branches, and altogether, flowers 
included, greenish. Flowers about tetrastichous, male much 
more numerons, only one female in the lower part of some 
branches, solitary and white, the males are in pairs, or by 
abortion solitary. 
Male calyx small: sepals carinate. Petals oblong, sub- 
acute, valvate hard coriaceous. 
Stamens6. Anthers linear, inserted about the middle, al- 
most versatile, greenish, the cells after dehiscence variously 
twisted. Pollen white when dry, lanceolate, and presenting 3 
deep furrows, in water globose. A well defined rudimentary 
pistil subulately, and deeply 3-lobed, of white colour. 
Female. At least after fecundation, and while many males 
yet remain perfect and many unopened ; large, as big asa crab- 
apple, no distinction of calyx and corolla, but 6 round con- 
cave highly imbricate bract-like leaves form the perianth. 
The great bulk of the ovary is solid, with 3 canals, as in Bo- 
fassus, round each, the tissue is tinged with yellow. The canalg 
are linear, and do not communicate, at least in the lower part 
of the fruit, although a line marks out the usual triangles. 
Ovary atthe base 3-celled, with one small ovule in each. 
