340 PALMiE. [Phanix. 



Ovary of 3 carpels, uniting in fruit into a 1-seeded drupe. Embryo on the 

 back of the albumen. — Stems erect. Leaves pinnate, with entire linear 

 segments. Spikes paniculate, issuing from coriaceous sheathing spathas 

 amongst the leaves. Flowers yellowish. 



A small genus dispersed over N. Africa and tropical Asia. 



I. P. acaulis, Roxb.? ; Griff. Palm. 137, t. 228? Leaves glaucous; 

 the segments folded, solitary or in clusters of 2 or 3, about 6 to 8 in. long, 

 by 5 or 6 lines wide. Spathas about 6 to 8 in. long, brown, narrow, usually 

 splitting into two. Peduncle above 1 ft. long, with numerous spreading 

 spikes of 3 or 4 in. Flowers small, sessile, on alternate notches of the 

 flexuose rhachis. 



In sunny places, Hance ; also Wright ; and Champion mentions a Phoenix growing near 

 the sea. From the specimens we possess, I cannot with certainty distinguish this from the 

 P.paludosa, Roxb., and I have no information as to its size. If it he the true P. acaulis, 

 it should have a very short bulb-shaped stem. Both species are natives of the plains of 

 India. 



3. RHAPIS, Linn. 



Flowers dioecious or polygamous. Outer perianth cup-shaped, shortly 

 3-lobed ; inner one longer, tubular or campanulate, also 3-lobed. Stamens 6 ; 

 filaments filiform; anthers ovate. Carpels 3, distinct. Drupes 3 or fewer 

 by abortion. — Small Palms, with thin stems and fan-shaped leaves. 



A genus of 2 or 3 species, limited to E. Asia. 



I . R. flabelliformis, Linn. ; Kunth, Enum. iii. 251 ; Bot. Mag. £.1371. 

 Stems usually 2 or 3 feet high, not much thicker than a finger. Sheaths 

 splitting into brown filaments. Leaves fan-shaped, dividing to near the base 

 into 4 to 10 lanceolate-linear segments, 8 to 10 in. long, minutely denticulate, 

 with twice as many folds at the base, on a petiole of £ to 1^ ft. Panicle 

 divaricately branched, about 1 foot broad. Flowers pale-yellow, sessile, scat- 

 tered. Drupes obovoid-globular, 1, 2, or 3 ripening to each flower. — R. Kwan- 

 wortsik, Herm. Wendl. ; Seem. Bot. Her. 416. 



In the Happy Valley woods, Hance, Wilford. In S. China and Loochoo. Cultivated in 

 Japan. 



Order CV. PANDANACE.E. 



Flowers unisexual, densely sessile, in simple or branched spikes or heads. 

 Perianth none, or rarely 3 or 4 valvate sepals. Male flowers : Stamens several ; 

 filaments filiform. Anthers 2 or 4-celled. Female flowers : Ovaries 1-celled, 

 entire, with 1 laterally inserted ovule or with many ovules on parietal placentas. 

 Stigma usually sessile. Fruit a berry or drupe. Embryo small, in the base 

 of a fleshy or horny albumen. — Stems herbaceous, shrubby or arborescent, 

 often branched. Leaves entire or divided. 



A small tropical Order, common to the New and the Old World. 



1. P AND ANUS, Linn. 



Flowers dioecious. Males in small dense spikes, sessile in the axils of leafy 

 or coloured bracts, forming a terminal compound spike. Stamens indefinite. 



