CYCADACEJE. 



1163. C. circinalis Linn. sp. pi. 1658. Lam. encycl. ii. 231. 

 Bot. Mag. tt. 2826, 2827. (Rheede iii. t. 1321. jRumph. i. 87. 

 t. 22, 23.) East Indies, especially the Moluccas. 



$ . Trunk, when attaining its full growth, from 15 to 20 feet 



high, of an equal thickness throughout, marked with the scars whence 



the old leaves have fallen, but scarcely annulated ; between which 



scars, the trunk is shaggy with the old and jagged downy scales 



or stipules, which accompany the base of the leaves ; these are cordate 



and turgid at their base, and very much acuminated. From amongst 



them, and at the very top of the stem, is a crown of a most beautiful 



foliage. The spread of the leaves is 12 feet, each 6 and 8 feet long, 



including the petiole ; for J of the length, from the extremity, pinnated, 



with linear-lanceolate, nearly horizontal, plane, subflexuoso-falcate 



pinna?, from 12 to 14 inches long, dark green on the upper side, paler 



beneath, quite glabrous, having a strong, pale midrib running through 



the centre; rachis unarmed; petiole swollen at the base, clothed 



with ferruginous, evanescent down, and unarmed ; upwards glabrous, 



and spinous at the margin, from abortive pinnae. The young leaves 



have a very beautiful appearance, being of a delicate pale green, and 



having the pinnae singularly involute, like the young fronds of a 



Fern. From among the crown of the leaves, at the top of the trunk, 



and nearly, if not entirely sessile, is the male amentum produced. 



This is between 4 and 5 inches long, ovate. Anthers large, loosely 



imbricated, ferruginously downy; the lower half tapering, inserted 



horizontally, the upper half taking a curvature upwards and tapering 



into an erect, sharpened, and long point. Upon these anthers, on the 



under side of the lower half, the numerous pollen-cells are crowded 



sometimes singly, sometimes 2, 3, or 4 together, in which latter 



case the opening of each cell is interiorly. The consistence of 



these is horny ; and they contain within them a pale yellow pollen, 



which is roundish, angular, and pellucid. Hooker. A kind of 



Sago is said to be produced by the interior of the stem, but not the 



true Sago of the shops which is obtained from Sagus inermis. The 



fruit is eaten in the Moluccas, and a kind of flour of bad quality is 



procured from the kernels pounded in a mortar. It is supposed that 



the account given by Rheede of true Sago being the produce of the 



plant is a mistake. This species also yields a clear transparent gum 



something like Tragacanth. 



ZAMIA. 



Both $ and 5 in cones terminating the trunk. $ . Anthers 

 open, in the form of peltate, woody, stalked scales, bearing pol- 

 len on their under side. ? . Carpels open, woody, peltate, 

 stalked, bearing 2 inverted ovules. Fruit the enlarged and 

 ripened cone ; seeds with a bony testa covered by a thin fleshy 

 coating. Small trees, with scaly trunks which are either simple 

 or branched. Leaves pinnated, with the pinnae contracted at their 

 insertion into the petiole. 



*** One of the best kinds of arrow root is prepared in the 

 Bahamas from the trunk of some species of this genus, but from which 

 is unknown ; no doubt some one of the following, all of which are 

 West Indian. 



550 



