456 APPENDIX. No. V. 
was established, concluded it to be, though from less satisfactory evidence.* 
It was first described as dicecious by Geertner, whose account has been adopted, 
probably without examination, by Schreber, Willdenow, and Persoon. 
In Sir Joseph Banks's collection, however, from which Gzertner received the 
fruits he has described and figured, and where he may be supposed to have 
likewise obtained all the original information he had on the subject, there is no 
proof of the male and female spadices of Elzis guincenses belonging to different 
individuals. 
Geertner has fallen into a still more important mistake respecting the 
structure of the fruit of Elzis, the foramina of whose putamen, which are 
analogous to those of the Cocoa nut, being, according to his description, at the 
base, as in that genus, whereas they are actually at the apex. It is probable 
that A/fonzia oleifera of Humboldt, Bonpland, and Kunth, belongs to Elzis, 
and possibly it may not even differ from the African species. 
It is a remarkable fact respecting the geographical distribution of Palme, 
that Eleis guineensis, which is universally, and I believe justly, considered as 
having been imported into the West India colonies from the west coast of 
Africa, and Cocos indica, which there is no reason to doubt is indigenous to the 
shores of equinoctial Asia and its islands, should be the only two species of an 
extensive and very natural section of the order, that are not confined to America. 
To this section, whose principal character consists in the originally trilocular 
putamen having its cells when fertile perforated opposite to the seat of the 
embryo, and when abortive indicated by foramina caca, as in the cocoa nut, 
the name Cocoine may be given; though it has been applied by M. Kuntht 
to a more extensive and less natural group, which includes all palms having 
trilocular ovaria, and the surface of whose fruit is not covered with imbricate 
scales. I may also remark that from the fruits of Cocoine only, as I have 
here proposed to limit the section, the oil afforded by plants of this family, is 
obtained. 
Professor Smith in his journal frequently mentions a species of Hyphae, by 
which he evidently intended the Palm first seen abundantly at the mouth of the 
river, and afterwards occasionally in the greater part of its course, especially 
near the Banzas, where it is probably planted for the sake of the wine obtained 
from it. 
According to the gardener’s information, this is a Palm of moderate height 
* Hist. Stirp. Amer, p. 281. + Nova Gen, ct Sp. Orb. Nov. 1, p, 241. 
