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XXIII. Defcnption of the Ftuit of Cycas revoluta. By James Edward 

 Smith, M.D. F.R.S. P.L.S. 



Read November 3, 180 1. 



The Cycas revoluta, Thutib. Fl. Japan. 229, J^it. Hort. Kew. v. 3. 475, 

 having, for the firft time in England, produced fruit in the coUettion 

 of the Honourable and Right Reverend the Biihop of Winchefter, at 

 Farnham Caftle, Surrey; his Lordihip was pleafed to requefl: that 

 an account of it might be laid before the Linnean Society. For this 

 purpofe I was induced to go to Farnham in November 1799, ^'^- 

 companied by Mr. Sowerby, in order to make the requifite obferva- 

 tions. We found the fruit then ripe, and exhibiting a moft magni- 

 ficent fpeftacle. The plant was much larger than any I had feen of 

 the fame fpecies, and feerr.s to be one of the oldefl: in England. 

 We learn from the Hortus Kewenfis that this Cycas has been about 

 40 years in our colIe6tions. It is not known that the Farnham 

 plant was larger at its firfl: introduction than fuch as are ufually 

 brought from abroad, perhaps 2 or 3 feet in the diameter of 

 the circle formed by the expanded leaves ; that diameter is now 

 10 or 12 feet. Suppofing it therefore to have been one of the very 

 firft introduced, it has grown much more rapidly than ufual ; for 

 there are few to be feen in England, even the oldeft, that are half 

 fo large. I fhall proceed to defcribe its appearance and ftru£ture. 



The ftem is about 2 feet in height, and 9 or 10 inches in dia- 

 meter. Thunberg defcribes the fame as rifing in Japan to the 

 height of 6 feet or more, with nearly the abovementioned diameter. 

 Its furface is brown, and very fcaly with the remains of old leaf- 



ftalks. 



