NATL KA[, OKDKRS. 1 H 



cocoa nut, being, according to his description, at tlic base, 

 as in that genus, whereas they are actuiilly at the apex. 

 It is probable that Alfon^la o/cifcra oi Ilunibokh, Hoii- 

 phmd and Kunth, belongs to Ekeis, and possibly it may 

 not even differ from the African species. 



It is a remarkable fact respecting the geographical dis- 

 tribution of PalnitC, that E/ceis (juinccims, which is uni- 

 versally, and I believe justly, considered as having been 

 imported into the West India colonies from the west coast 

 of Africa, and Coco>i i/idica, which there is no reason to 

 doubt is indigenous to tke skores of ecpiinoctial Asia and 

 its islands, skould be tke only two species of an extensive 

 and very natural section of tke order, tkat are not contined 

 to America. 



To tkis section, wkose principal ckaracter consists in tke 

 originally trilocular putamen kaving its cells wken fertile 

 perforated opposite to tke seat of tke embryo, and when 

 abortive indicated by foramina cgeca, as in tke Cocoa nut, 

 tke name Cocoinsc may be given; tkougk it kas been ap- 

 l)lied by M. Kuntlii to a more extensive and less natural 

 group, wliick includes all palms kaving trilocular ovaria, 

 and tke surface of wkose fruit is not covered witk imbricate 

 scales. I may also remark tkat from tke fruits of Cocoi/ue 

 only, as I kave kere })roposed to limit tke section, tke oil 

 afforded by plants of this family, is obtained. 



Professor Smith in his journal frequently mentions a 

 species of Hyplicene, by whick lie evidently intended tke 

 palm first seen abundantly at tke moutk of tke river, and 

 afterwards occasionally in tke greater part of its course, 

 especially near tke Banzas, wliere it is probably planted 

 for tke sake of tke wine obtained from it. 



According to tke gardener's information, tkis is a palm :i57 

 of moderate keigkt witk fan-skaped fronds and an undi- 

 vided caudex. It tkerefore more probably Ijclongs to 

 Corypka tkan to Gsertner's Ilypkccnc, one species of wkicli 

 is tke Cucifera of Delile, tke Doom of l^per I'gypt ; the 

 second, Ilt/jjJicene corlacca, is a native of Melinda, and 



» Nova Gen. et Sp. Orb. Kov. ],7;. 211. 



