174 HOUSE PLANTS 



THE CONFUSION OF YOUTH 



It is really very hard to give a good de- 

 scription of the individual kinds of palm, 

 because many of them look so much alike. 

 This is particularly true v^hen in the young 

 state; in most of them, the seed leaves show 

 no distinguishing characteristics v^hatever, the 

 characteristic leaves not being developed 

 until the plants are nearly a year old. Even 

 in some of the older plants, there is not 

 much difference. For instance, until I 

 became fairly well acquainted with palms, I 

 was continually confusing the areca with the 

 kentia and seaforthia. Some hundreds of 

 species make up the host of palms, and 

 there would be endless confusion and dis- 

 appointment were the amateur to attempt 

 their cultivation in the house. The only 

 ones to be considered are the following. 



The best two palms for house culture are 

 the curly palm (Howea Belmoreana) and 

 the thatch leaf palm {Howea Forsteriand). 

 They are universally known throughout the 

 trade, however, as Kentia Belmoreana and K. 

 Forsteriana. They might be identified in 

 popular terms as the erect kentia and the 

 spreading kentia. Although very much 



