66G ORDER 130. PALMACE^E. 



PROVINCE, ENDOGENS, 



OR MONOCOTYLEDONS. Phtenogamous Plants having a stem 

 without the distinction of bark, wood and pith, composed of 

 thread-like bundles of trachenchyma imbedded irregularly . in 

 the general cellular mass, the newest interior, not forming layers 

 in growth. Leaves mostly parallel-veined. Flowers very gener- 

 ally 3-merous. Embryo with one cotyledon, rarely with* 2 alter- 

 nate and unequal. 



CLASS III. PETALIFEK^E. Plants of the endogenous struc- 

 ture, the flowers normal and complete with a whorled pe- 

 rianth, or the perianth wanting in either case destitute of 

 glumes. 



COHORT 5, SPADICIFLOR^. Endogens with flowers hav- 

 ing no perianth or a scaly one, and borne on a thickened 

 rachis (spadix) which is usually enveloped in a spathe. 



ORDER CXXX. PALMACE.E. PALMS. 



Trees or shrubs chiefly with unbranched trunks growing by the terminal bud. 

 Leaves large, plaited, on sheathing petioles, collected in one terminal cluster. Flow- 

 ers perfect or polygamous, on a branching spadix bursting from a spathe. Perianth 

 double, 3-merous, hexandrous, ovaries (and styles) 3, distinct or commonly united 

 into 1, each 1-ovuled. Fruit fleshy, 1 3-seeded, embryo minute, superficially 

 imbedded in albumen. Fig. 47, d, e. 



Genera 73, .species 500? of noble aspect and most interesting attributes. They are chiefly 

 tropical, a lew advancing into the wanner parts of the Temperate Zone. 



The properties ami uses of the Palms are of tho highest importance and variety. From the 

 drupes of several African Palms, and from the Cocoa Nut, oil is obtained. Other species secrete 

 viax from their leaves. Starch is obtained abundantly from the Saco Palm (Sagus ttumphii) 

 and many other species. Even suffitr, and alcoholic liquors, are made from the juice of the 

 unopened spathe of Saguertis saccharifer, Mauri tia vinifer, &c. The bud of the Cabbage Palm 

 (Areea oleracea) is boiled and eaten as a vese.table. Among the, fruits, are enumerated the date, 

 from Phoenix dactylifora, und the cocoa-nut, from Attalea funifera. &c. 

 GENERA. 



* Flowers all perfect. Ovaries and styles united into 1. Berry single SABAL. 1 



* Flowers perfect and staminate. Ovaries and styles distinct. Drupes 3 CHAM.SROPS. 2 



1. SA'BAL, Adanson. PALMETTO. Fls. perfect, sessile, outer pe- 

 lianth (calyx) cup-like, 3-cleft or 3-toothed, inner of 3 subdistinct, ob- 

 long sepals ; stam. 6 ; fil. subulate, their broad bases contiguous or 

 connate, anth. ovate-cordate ; ovaries 3, soon united into 1 ; style 3- 

 angled ; fruit a single globular or 3-lobed, 3 (rarely 1 or 2)-seeded 

 dryish berry. Caudex procumbent or erect, covered by the persistent 

 bases of the leaves. Leaves palmately many-cleft, segm. implicate, 2 

 cleft at ap^x, spadix branching, sheathed with many spathe-like bracts. 

 Fls. small, white or greenish. 

 1 B. Palmetto Loddig. PALMETTO. Caudex erect, arborescent; Ivs. coriaceous. 



glaucous-green, lamina fan-shaped, segments numerous, implicate, united to near 



the ensiform summits ; petioles broad, compressed, nearly the length of the lamina ; 



gpadix flexuous, glabrous, much shorter than the leaves ; sputh? double style 



