530 PAL3LE. 



spatha. Natives of tropical regions chiefly, and imparting to them 

 much of their botanical physiognomy. Most of them have unbranched 

 stems, attaining sometimes a height of 180 feet, and sending out clus- 

 ters of large leaves, from the axil of which bunches of flowers proceed. 

 Although the flowers are small, still the inflorescence, taken collec- 

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

 effect on the landscape in glowing colours, and Martius has illustrated the 

 order by splendid delineations. Linnaeus called them the Princes of 

 the Vegetable Kingdom. Lindley states that there are 73 known 

 genera, and 400 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 following are the tribes: 1. 

 Arecineae, the Betel-nut tribe. 2. Lepidocaryinae, the Sago tribe. 3. 

 Borassinaa, the Palmyra Palm tribe. 4. Coryphinse, the Talipot and 

 Date tribe. 5. Cocoinse, the Coco-nut tribe. Examples Areca, 

 Euterpe, Caryota ; Lepidocaryum, Calamus, Sagus ; Borassus, Lodoi- 

 cea ; Corypha, Livistona, Phosnix ; Cocos, Elais, Acrocomia ; Phyte- 

 lephas. 



1084. The properties of the plants of this order are very various. 

 In the countries in which they grow, they are used for supplying food, 

 and for forming habitations. The fruit of some is eatable, while that 

 of others is extremely hard. Many supply oil, wax, starchy matter, 

 and sugar, which is fermented so as to form an intoxicating beverage. 

 Their fibres are employed for ropes, and the reticulum surrounding 

 their leaves is sometimes manufactured into brushes. 



The Palm of the Bible, -on, seems to be Phoenix dactylifera, the 

 Date, the drupaceous fruit of which supplies food to many of the in- 

 habitants of Arabia and Africa. Cocos nucifera (fig. 115, 1), the Coco- 

 nut Palm, is one of the most useful, supplying food, clothing, materials 

 for houses, and utensils of various kinds, ropes and oil. The sugar 

 procured from it is called Jagery, and is fermented so as to form arrack. 

 The fibrous part of its fruit is manufactured into Coir-rope. The 

 wood of the Coco-nut Palm is known by the name of porcupine Avood. 

 The terminal bud of the Coco-nut Palm, as well as that of Euterpe 

 montana, the Cabbage Palm, are used as culinary vegetables. The 

 Double Coco-nut of the Seychelles islands is produced by Lodoicea 

 Seychellarum. The palm-oil imported from the west coast of Africa is 

 obtained by bruising the fruit of Elais guineensis and melanococca. 

 The oil-bearing palms are in the tribe Cocoinse. The Betel-nut is the 

 produce of Areca Catechu, and from it an extract is prepared of an 

 astringent nature resembling Catechu. The seeds or nuts form an 

 ingredient in the eastern masticatory called Pan or Betle, and which 



