end the Areca-nut Tree. HI 



the centre of the crown of the areca-nut tree, to the number 

 of seven or eight, stand erect, while the rest, being five 

 in number, incHne, rounding themselves by a slight curva- 

 ture, and by their union form a kind of elegant crown. 

 The leaves of the areca-nut tree, as long as they vegetate, 

 are of a rich and brilliant green colour; the eye can behold 

 them without being fatigued : as they grow old they assume 

 successively an orange colour, which, though it contrasts 

 with the brilliant green of the other leaves, does not offend 

 the sight. 



This palm exhibits, as a distinguishing character, very 

 small flowers of a pale apple green colour, with a sweet 

 and agreeable odour, raoncecous, disposed in a panicle m- 

 closed in a very tliin spath or sheath like that of the coco- 

 nut tree, v/hich differs from it only bv its thickness, and bv 

 the other being fibrous. Each of these flowers consists of 

 a calyx half a line in length, with three acute and coria- 

 ceous points ; a corolla of three petals perfectly similar to 

 the calyx. The male flowers have six and sometimes nine 

 siamina not projecting, and the female an upper ovarium 

 furnished with three styles. The male are placed along 

 small twigs proceeding from a common pedicle which form 

 the panicle, Thev are parted from each other in groups of 

 five or six ; in these intervals is the group of female flowers 

 consisting of from nine to ten. The fruit are all set before 

 the spath opens. 



It is seen by this exact description that most naturalists 

 are deceived, or at least have implicitly believed and mutu- 

 ally copied each other, instead of makint; obseivalions be- 

 fore they wrote. I shall make known the rest of their 

 errors as circumstances furnish me with an opportunity. 

 These facts, though apparently of little importance in re- 

 gard to a vegetable which we do not possess, are, however, 

 mteresting t(y botany ; and this consideration alone has in- 

 duced me to indulge in this kind of critique, for which 1 

 hope I shall be forgiven, as it tends to promote truth. 



The areca-nut tree, as well as all the other palms, are re- 

 produced only by the fruit : to thrive, it requires good soil, 

 and this is a character which distinguishes the coco-nut tree 

 from vegetables of this family ; it needs less watering, but 

 it requires nmch more air, and the full enjoyment of th«; 

 rays of the sun, without which its vegetation would only 

 languish. 



Some plants which I cultivated in a large garden, and 

 beneath which I caused animals to be inlerred, produced 

 wuch more than usual ; yet this increase of fecundity did 



not 



