PHOSNIX 



down many more feet until they hart reached the clay- 

 bank or the water. There are quite a number of small 

 feeding-roots found in dense masses all along the rope- 

 like main-roots near the surface of the soil, but not such 

 a network of surface-roots as we iind in all the hardy 

 species of Cocos (of the C. uustnills type), in which 

 almost all the roots run horizontal and are mostly found 

 near the surface, while in the species of Phoenix they 

 run downward. The large-growing species flower pro- 

 fusely in the fall and winter, while the bushy species all 

 flower during the spring months. In all the species of 

 Phoenix the male and female flowers are borne on differ- 

 ent individuals, and the various species flowering at the 

 same time hybridize readily. jj. Nehrling. 



Phcenix in Oalifomia.—The undersigned now has 

 growing in the ground the following species: P. Canar- 

 iensis. dactylifera, reclinata. all large; eycadifolia, 

 farinifera, pumila, rnpicoUi, tenuis, 2-4 ft. high; 

 Hinieriiiiii , Jicbw, sylvestris and Zeylanica, all in pots. 

 Much cotifiision exists here, and few dare recognize 

 more than the three first named. We have P. dactyl- 

 ifera as high as 100 ft. Some specimens grown from 

 seed saved from commercial dates have made 50 ft. of 

 trunk in 30 years, while others of the same seeding 

 have made but 8 ft. Either we have numerous hybrids 

 here or else some species that no one knows. We have 

 them in all shades of green and glaucous-green, all 

 habits of growth, stiff and upright, pendulous and soft, 

 narrow leaves and broad ones, slim-folded and wide- 

 spreading, the latter like an inverted leaf of Jubtra 

 spe.ctabilis. No one here has attempted to straighten 

 them out. The only species easily recognized every- 

 where and by every one is P. Canariensis, the gem of 

 the genus. This is regarded by one eminent Californian 

 nurseryman as a garden hybrid, but it always produces 

 fertile seeds, and seedlings from it do not vary, which 

 cannot be said of any other Phoenix here. Next in popu- 

 larity comes P. reclinata; the others are only found in 

 collections. P. dactylifera is seldom planted now, and 

 few nurseries ever grow it. All species of Phcrnix are 

 hardy here as far as the writer knows. P. Canariensis 

 is most easily removed from the ground, and the best 

 time is Aug. and Sept. , the hottest weather, as then they 

 recuperate faster. The only other time to remove Is in 

 the early spring, before growth, and then if the weather 

 turns cold it is risky. Ernest Bkaunton. 



Phcenix in the iVorf/i.— Although Phcenixes cannot be 

 considered to be as decorative subjects as the Howeas 

 and Chrysalidocarpus, they are among the hardiest of 

 palms. For any unfavorable situation where any palm 

 can be expected to thrive, recommend a Phoenix. Out- 

 doors they endure the hottest sunshine without losing a 

 particle of color, whether placed in jars, vases or beds. 

 As house plants they are unequaled for resistance to 

 neglect. They also bear the tying and untying and the 

 crowding and wear and tear of public decorative work 

 better than any other palms. The writer has a pair of 

 specimens of Phcenix rupicola, which within the past 

 six years have been packed and unpacke<l five hundred 

 times; they have withstood excessive heat and cold, 

 gas and dust, and still stand to-day in the broad sun 

 with their arching fronds perfect. The Date-palm is not 

 ■quite so graceful. P. Leonensis or spinosa is slightly 

 stiffer than P. rupicola, but very handsome. Other 

 kinds useful to the florist are P. Canariensis, farinifera, 

 pumila and tenuis. (This paragraph has been adapted 

 from an article in Scott's Florists' Manual which em- 

 bodies the experience of Mr. Scott and of the under- 

 signed.) W. H. Taplin. 



( Various other names will be found in horticidtur.-il litera- 

 ture, but tlie following comprise those known to the Ameri- 

 can trade.) 



a^aulis, 7. Jubce, 9. Rcebelenii, 6. 



Andersoni, 1. Leonensis, 2. rupicola, 1. 



Canariensis, 9. Lourierii, 6. Senegalensis, 2. 



eycadifolia, 11. maerocarpa, 9. spinosa, 2. 



dactylifera, 11. melatiocarpa, 2. sylvestris, 10. 



escelsa, 11. paludosa, 3. tenuis, 9. 



farinifera, 4. pumila, 8. Zanzibaretisis, 2. 



Hanceana, 6. pusilla, 5. Zeylanica, 5. 



humilis. 6. reclinata, 2. 



S3 



PHCENIX 



1311 



A. Texture of Ifts. flaccid 1. rupicola 



AA. Texture of Ifts, rigid. 



B. Arrangement of Ifts. 2-ranked. 



c. Form of Ifts. lanceolate 2. reclinata 



oc. Porm of Ifts, ensiforw, with 



filiform tips ;t. paludosa 



BB. Arrangement of Ifts. 2-4 or ntatiy- 

 ranked. 

 c. Position of Ifts. equidistant. 



B. Color of Ivs, dark green 4. farinifera 



DD. Color of Ivs. light green. 5. pusilla 



cc. Position of Ifts. grottped or 

 fascicled. 

 V. Stem bnlbiform; Ivs. short. 

 E. Lfts. scattered, irregularly 



fascicled 6. humilis 



EE. Lfts. in nearly opposite 



fascicles 7. acaulis 



r>D. Stetn erect: Ivs. long. 



E. Lvs. very slender 8. pumila 



9. Canariensis 

 EE. In^s. more robust. 



F. Foliage glabrous 10. sylvestris 



PP. Foliage glaucous 11. dactyliiera 



1. rupicola, T. Anders. (P. Andersoni, Hort. Cal- 

 cutta). Stem 15-20 ft. x8 in., solitary, slender, naked: 

 Ivs. 10 ft., quite glabrous; petiole compressed; seg- 

 ments li4 ft., 2-ranked, not fascicled, flaccid, bright 

 green. Sikkim, Himalaya. G.C. II. 8:45. F. 1887, p. 

 105. I.H. 25:318. F.R. 1:143. A.G. 13:141. A.F. 

 4:569. — "The numerous bright green decurved Ifts. all 

 in one plane are peculiar to this beautiful species." A 

 form with some of the lfts. white is figured in I.H 34 :3. 



2. reclin&ta, Jacq. (P. Leonfnsis, Lodd. P. Senega 

 Unsis, Van Houtte. P. spiudsn, Schum. & Thorn. P. 

 Zamibarinsis, Hort.). Stem short (3-4 ft.); Ivs. 2- 

 ranked, bright green, obliquely arcuate-recurved toward 

 the apex; lfts. rigid, approximate, strict, 12 in. long, 



1 in. wide, lanceolate, acuminate, pungent, the terminal 

 9 in. long, slightly bifid, the lowest spinescent. Trop, 

 and S.Africa. F. 1871, p. 135. A.P.4:568. A.G.13:141; 

 14:410; 16:346. Gn. 39, p. HO. -P. melanocdrpa, Naud., 

 has black edible fruits, and was found in a garden at 

 Nice. It is ".supposed to be a,va.riety otP. Senegalensis." 

 R.H. 1894, pp. 493, 496, 497. 



3. paluddsa, Roxb. Gregarious, subarboreous: trunks 

 8-25 ft. high, 12-18 in. in diam., often reclining, annu- 

 late: Ivs. 8-10 ft.; lfts. 1-2 ft., opposite and alternate, 

 2-ranked, ensiform, with filiform tips, whitish or mealy 

 beneath ; petiole 3-5 ft. long, slender, scurfy, with many 

 long spines; sheath fibrous : fr. black-purple. Seashore, 

 tropical Asia. 



4. farinifera, Roxb. Shrubby: caudex at most 4 ft., 

 thickly clothed with old leaf-sheaths: petiole with 1 or 



2 pairs of spines; Ifts. subopposite, 4-ranked, ensiform, 

 rigid, pungent, dark green: fr. black. Ceylon and 

 southern India. —"The caudex has a farinaceous pith" 

 (Roxb.). "The foliage is so spiny that it is impossible 

 to walk through clumps of it" (Steavenson). 



5. pusilla, Gasrtn. (P. Zeylanica, Hort.). Stem 10-14 

 ft.: Ivs. rather short; lfts. very many, subequidistant, 

 7-10 in., spreading at right angles, 4-ranked, rigid, nun- 

 gent, bright green. Ceylon. 



6. htimilis, Royle. Stems short, tufted, bnlbiform, 

 rarely elongated: Ivs. subglaucous; lfts. scattered, in- 

 terruptedly fascicled. Very close to P. acaulis, but 

 distinguished by the very long -peduncled, fruiting 

 spadix. Hilly districts of India. — Var. Hanceina, Beco. 

 {P. UanceAna, Hort.), from China, is cultivated. 



Var. Lourifirii, Becc. (P. Ecebelenii, O'Brien). Fig. 

 1765. Lvs. 1 ft. long; lfts. 5-7 in. long, shining, dark 

 green, soft, curved, subglaucous, often approximate, 

 mostly falcate, not spinous at the tip. Assam to Cochin 

 China. G.M. 38:80. A.G. 15:201. G.C. III. 6:475; 

 11:731. G.F. 3:273. 



7. acadlis, Buch. Caudex bnlbiform, 8-10 in. in diam., 

 densely clothed with sheaths and bases of the petioles: 

 lvs. 2-G ft. ; lfts. in subopposite fascicles, many-ranked, 

 ^-1^2 ft. long, very rigid, somewhat glaucous, marginal 

 nerve very strong; petiole 1 ft. or more, with many 

 spines: fr. bright red to blue-black. India. 



