26 ABECACEAE. 



or dioecious, on axillary compound spadices. Perianth of 6 fleshy mem- 

 bers in 2 series. Androecium of 6, or 9-12 stamens. Gynoecium of 3 

 distinct or united carpels. Fruit drupaceous or baccate. Seeds usually 

 hollow. 



FAMILY 1. AEECACEAE. PALM FAMILY. 



Stem with a terminal crown of leaves, or in the case of climbing 

 plants with remote leaves. Inflorescence at first included in a large bract 

 (spathe), from which it ultimately protrudes. 



Leaves with flabellately parted or cleft blades, fan-shaped. 



Calyx and corolla united into a 6-lobed or truncate cup, or obsolete. 



Endosperm channeled : drupe with black flesh. 1. COCCOTHBIXAX. 



Endosperm even : drupe with white flesh. 2. THRINAX. 



Calyx and corolla distinct and manifestly in 2 series. 



Style or stigma basal on the drupe. 3. SABAL. 



Style or stigma terminal on the drupe. 4. SEREXOA. 



Leaves with pinnately divided blades, pinnate. 



Drupe with the style or stigmas nearly basal : stamens 



exserted. 

 Drupe violet-blue : branches of the spadix erect or 



ascending. 5. ROYSTONEA. 



Drupe orange-scarlet : branches of the spadix spreading. 6. PSEUDOPHOEXIX. 

 Drupe with the style or stigmas terminal : stamens included. 7. Cocos. 



1. COCCOTHBINAX Sarg. Unarmed shrubs or trees. Leaf-blades 

 flabellate silvery or pale-scurfy beneath: petioles smooth. Spadix relatively 

 short. Stamens mostly 9: filaments distinct or nearly so. Style funnelform. 

 Drupe black or purple-black. 



1. C. argentea (Lodd.) Sarg. A tree becoming 8 m. tall: leaf -blades 5-8 dm. 

 broad, the ligule 2-3 cm. broad: spadix 5-7.5 dm. long: drupe 12-18 mm. 

 thick. Pinelands, L. keys, L. S. keys. [E. K.] (Bah., Cuba, Ant.) SILVER- 

 PALM. 



2. THEINAX L. Unarmed trees. Leaves with flabellate blades pale or 

 silvery-scurfy beneath, and smooth petioles. Spadix relatively long. Stamens 

 mostly 6: filaments united at the base. Style concave or flat. Drupe ivory- 

 white. Spr. THATCH-PALM. 



The wood of the THATCH-PALMS is brown, hard without and soft within. 

 Flowers slender-pedicelled : sepals and petals united into an obscurely lobed or trun- 

 cate cup : filaments subulate : stigma oblique. 1. T. floridana. 

 Flowers on short disk-like pedicels : sepals and petals partially 

 united, acute : filaments nearly triangular : stigma not 

 oblique. 

 Trunk without a basal enlargement : spadix 3-6 dm. long : 



drupe 3-4 mm. in diameter. 2. T. microcarpa. 



Trunk with a basal enlargement: spadix nearly 2 m. long: 



drupe 5-6 mm. in diameter. 3. T. keyensia. 



1. T. floridana Sarg. Slender tree, 9 m. tall. Leaf-blades 9-13 dm. broad, 

 yellowish-green and lustrous above: ligule 5-7 cm. broad: spadix about 10 dm. 

 long: pedicels about 3 mm. long: filaments subulate: drupe 8-12 mm. thick, or 

 rarely smaller. Hammocks and sandy shores, U. keys. (Bah., Cuba.) 

 FLORIDA THATCH-PALM. 



2. T. microcarpa Sarg. Stout tree 10 m. tall. Leaf -blades about 10 dm. broad, 

 pale-green above: ligule 2-2.5 cm. broad: spadix 3-6 dm. long: pedicels disk- 

 like : filaments triangular : drupe 3-4 mm. thick. Hammocks and sandy shores, 

 U. keys, L. keys, L. S. keys. (Bah., Cuba.) BRITTLE-THATCH. 



3. T. keyensis Sarg. Eelatively stout tree 8 m. tall, the trunk raised on a 

 base of matted roots. Leaf -blades about 10 dm. broad, yellowish-green above: 



