Y6 BOTANY. 



petioles. Flowers on a terminal, often branched spadix, inclosed in a one- 

 or niany-valved spatha. Natives of tropical regions chiefly, and imparting 

 to them much of their botanical physiognomy. Most of them have un- 

 branched stems, attaining sometimes a height of 180 feet, and sending 

 out clusters of large leaves, from the axils of which bunches of flowers 

 proceed. Although the flowers are small, still the inflorescence, taken 

 collectively, has often a most imposing aspect. Humboldt describes their 

 effect on the landscape in gloAving colors, and Martius has illustrated the 

 order by splendid delineations. Linnreus called them the Princes of the 

 vegetable kingdom, Lindley states that there are seventy-three known 

 genera, and four hundred species ; but this estimate probably falls short of 

 the total amount, for much still remains to be done in the elucidation of the 

 species. They have been divided by Martius into various tribes, depending 

 chiefly on the nature of the ovary, ovules, and fruit ; and sections are formed 

 according as the leaves are pinnate or flabelliform, and the stems are spiny 

 or not. 



The species of this order are eminent not only for their beauty but for 

 their utility. Distributed over the tropical portions of the entire globe, they 

 in many cases form the entire dependence of whole tribes. Every portion 

 of these plants is applied to some important end ; water-pipes are made of 

 the hollow trunks, while those that are more solid furnish an excellent 

 building material of great strength. Canes, umbrella and fan handles, and 

 numerous other articles, are made of palm-wood. The density of palm- 

 Avood varies greatly, the lightest being that of the Date Palm (0.3963), and 

 the heaviest that of Astrocaryum murumuru (1.1380). The progress of age 

 causes the deposit of large quantities of starch in the form of fine powder in 

 the trunks of some palms. This, the sago of commerce, is obtained chiefly 

 from the species of Metroxylon, as also of Caryota, Borassus, Arenga, 

 Phoenix, «fcc. The juice of many Palms contains a large quantity of sugar 

 (Jagery) which may be collected for economical purposes, or else used in the 

 manufacture of various arracks and other intoxicating liquors. A substance 

 called Toddy is obtained from the spathcs of Cocos nucifera, of medicinal 

 value in tropical constipation. 



The leaves of the large palms are used in covering houses, the petioles for 

 various purposes. The fruit of various species is an important article of 

 alimentation ; the date is derived from Phoenix dactylifera ; the common 

 cocoa-nut from Cocos nucifera ; the double cocoa-nut from Lodoicea seychel- 

 larum. The fruit of certain species furnishes palm oil, that from Elais 

 guineensis being distinguished from the rest by the presence of palmic acid. 

 Medicinal substances are, catechu from the betel nut or fruit of Areca 

 catechu (to be distinguished from the true catechu, which is derived from a 

 species of Mimosa) ; dragon's blood from Calamus draco ; bdellium from 

 Hyphfene thebaica. Wax also is furnished by several species, occurring in 

 the form of a thin coating on the leaves or trunk. The principal wax 

 producing palm is Copernica cerifera, a Brazilian species yielding the car- 

 nauba Avax. Others are Ceroxylon andicola, Ceratolobus glaucescens, &-c. 

 Finally, the fibres of some species yield valuable textile materials, and 

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