cocos 



CODI^UM 



815 



DD. Form of Ifts. linear: apex obtuse: petiole glaucous. 



7. australis, Mart. PINDO PALM. Height about 30 

 ft.: st. erect, columnar, equal, strongly annular above: 

 Ivs. 9-12 ft. long, the sheath fibrous and glabrous; 

 petiole naked; segms. linear, glaucous, rather rigid: 

 fr as large as a pigeon's egg, outer pulp sweet, edible, 

 seed oily. Paraguay. G.C. III. 18:739. A.F. 5:515; 

 7:805. R.H. 1876, p. 155. A good grower. Cult, 

 under glass and outdoors in Fla. and Calif. 



8. nucifera, Linn. Coco PALM. COCONUT TREE. 

 Figs. 1014 (adapted from Cook), 1015. Caudex 40-100 

 ft. high, flexuous, thickened at the base: Ivs. 12-18 ft. 

 long; Ifts. linear-lanceolate, 2-3 ft., coriaceous, flaccid; 

 petiole 3-5 ft., stout. Seashores within the tropics and 

 at Miami and Palm Beach, Fla. Indigenous to Cocos 

 or Keeling Isls. of the Indian Ocean, but recently 

 thought to be native of Trop. Amer. See O. F. Cook, 

 Contr. U. S. Nat. Herb., 7:257-93 (1901); 14:271-342 

 (1910). R.H. 1895, p. 457. Mn. 2:171. G.F. 7:15 

 Produces the coconuts of commerce. Var. aiirea, Hort., 

 is a form remarkable for its orange-yellow sheaths, 

 petioles and midribs." It is known in cult, only in 

 England. 



DDD. Form of Ifts. narrowly lanceolate. 



E. Lvs. long, 6-15 ft. in mature specimens. 



F. Petiole spinose-serrate: segms. of If. less numerous. 



9. Yatay, Mart. St. 12-15 ft. high, over 1 ft. diam., 

 naked below, covered with dead sheaths above: Ivs. re- 

 curved, spreading 6-9 ft. ; sheath 1 ft. long, fibrous at 

 the mouth; petiole \Yi ft. long, spinose-serrate, the 

 spines increasing in length towards the lower end of 

 petiole; segms. 50-60 on a side, crowded below, then 

 equidistant, linear-lanceolate, the uppermost long- 

 setaceous filiform, the middle ones 2M> ft. long, 2-5 in. 

 wide, the upper 20 in. long, J^in. wide, all rigid, glau- 

 cous beneath: spadix about 4^ ft. long with at least 

 150 branches. Brazil, Argentina. 



FF. Petiole not spinose-serrate: segms. of If. 

 very numerous. 



10. Datil, Drude & Griseb. St. 30 ft. high, 8-12 in. 

 diam.: Ivs. 12-15 ft. long; sheath about 16 in. long; 

 petiole \Y<i ft. long, 1% in. wide, %in. thick; segms. 

 linear-acuminate, glaucous, densely crowded in groups 

 of 3 or 4, 150-160 on each side, the lowest 2 ft., middle 

 2H ft- and apical 1 ft., the uppermost filiform, all nar- 

 row, stiff and rigid, the dried Ivs. glaucous green or 

 whitish: spadix 3-3 H ft- long with at least 300 spirally 

 twisted branches. Argentina; isls. and river banks. 

 The frs. are edible, resembling those of the date palm. 

 Hardier in S. Calif, than C. plumosa, C. flexuosa, and 

 C. Romanzoffiana. 



11. coronata, Hort., not Mart. Trunk at length 18- 

 30 ft. high, 8 in. diam., erect, deeply ringed: Ivs. erect- 

 spreading, 6-9 ft. long, short-pet ioled, arranged in a 

 close, 5-ranked spiral, the long-persistent bases of the 

 petioles forming a spiral-twisted column below the 

 crown; If .-segms. in groups of 2 or 3, folded together 

 from the base (conduplicate), linear-lanceolate, coria- 

 ceous, densely crowded, about 100 on each side; mid- 

 rib 4-sided below, 3-sided above: spadix about 2^-3 

 ft. with not more than 60 branches. Brazil. 



EE. Los. shorter, S~4 1 A ft- mature specimens. 

 F. Apex of Ifts. obtuse. 



12. campestris, Mart. St. 8-10 ft. high, thickened, 

 scaly: Ivs. spreading-recurved, rigid, 3-4J^ ft. long; 

 rachis elevated, triangular above, convex below; segms. 

 narrowly lanceolate, 30-40 on each side, obtuse at the 

 apex and shortly cordate-acuminate: spadix about 2J^ 

 ft. long, with 10-14 branches. Brazil. Hardier than 

 C. nucifera, but scarcely known in cult, in N. Amer. 

 Perhaps hardy as far north as N. C. 



FF. Apex of Ifts. acuminate. 



13. insignis, Mart. (Glazibva inslgnis, Hort.). St. 

 3-6 ft. high, \Yi in. diam.: Ivs. 4^-6 ft. long; sheath 

 densely brown-lanate ; petiole shorter than or equaling 

 the sheath, a fourth or fifth as long as the rachis ; segms. 

 equidistant, 50 on each side, narrowly lanceolate, 

 obliquely acuminate and caudate, silvery glaucous 

 beneath: spadix about 3 ft. long, with about 50 

 branches. Brazil. 



The following are trade names of rare or botanically little-known 

 plants not sufficiently described: C. Alphonsei. C. Arechavalel&na, 

 Barb., is described as somewhat like C. Romanzoffiana but taller 

 and making larger crowns. It is a native of Uruguay. C. Blumen- 

 dOT=C. eriospatha. C. Bonnetii. C. G*rtnm'=(?). C. Geriva, 

 Hort. G.C. III. 27:293 figures C. Geriva, a remarkable Cocos (?) 

 with 4 branches. Nothing further is known of this plant. It may 

 be C. Geriba, Rodr.=C. botryophora, Mart. C. Maximilid.no,, 

 Hort.=(?). C. odordta, Rodr. St. short: Ifts. in 3's or 5's, linear- 

 lanceolate; petioles spiny: fr. yellowish green or pink, pulp scented. 

 Brazil. R.H. 1893, p. 345. C. pulpdsa, is supposed to be very like 

 C. eriospatha. This species is scarcely known in this country. C. 

 Yurwnmjnas=(t). J$^ TAYLOR.f 



CODLEUM (probably from Greek for head, the 

 colored leaves being used for crowning-wreaths, or 

 from the Malayan name). Euphorbiacese. CROTON. 

 VARIEGATED LAUREL. Tropical shrubs or trees grown 

 for the variegated and interesting foliage, as green- 

 house plants or for summer bedding outdoors. 



Leaves alternate, simple, somewhat thick and 

 leathery, pinnately veined, glabrous: juice somewhat 

 milky: fls. monoecious, in slender axillary racemes; 

 staminate fls. with petals, calyx imbricate, stamens 

 20-30, erect in the bud; pistillate fls. apetalous, ovary 

 3-celled, 3-ovuled. Six species of Malaya and Pacific 

 Isls., not closely related to any other commonly cult. 

 Euphorbiacese. Differs from the true crotons in the 

 erect stamens, glabrous foliage and more or less milky 

 juice. 



The almost endless variety of codieums (or crotons 

 of gardens) are probably all from one botanical species, 

 greatly varied by selection and crossing. Although a 

 great many of these bear Latin binomials they inter- 

 grade so that it is often difficult to separate them or to 

 make a reliable classification; however, they may be 

 grouped conveniently as below. Totally different leaf 

 forms and color variations often appear on the same 

 plant. The latest botanical treatment is by Pax in 

 Das Pflanzenreich, hft. 47, and is followed in this 

 article. 



The crotons are prized chiefly for the varied and 

 brilliant markings of the leaves. The young leaves are 

 usually green and yellow, changing later to red, 

 although in some the markings remain yellow or with 

 red only in the petiole. They are usually kept not over 

 2 to 3 feet high, but if given opportunity will grow into 

 considerable trees in the greenhouse. They are good 

 subjects for massing in the open and develop most 

 brilliant colors in our bright hot summers; however, 

 they will not stand frost. 



Codieums (or crotons, as they are popularly known 

 in America) are beautiful plants with many forms of 

 handsome and odd foliage of the most brilliant color- 

 ing. The colors range from almost pure white to light 

 and deep yellow, orange, pink, red and crimson, in the 

 most charming combinations. In some cases one color 

 predominates, as in Carrierei (yellow), Czar Alexander 

 III. (crimson), Hawkeri (light yellow). These varie- 

 ties of distinct coloring make beautiful specimen plants 

 for jardinieres; and their beauty is enhanced when 

 used in jardinieres of appropriate color. As exhibition 

 plants they are very effective, and may be grown to 

 specimens 5 or 6 feet high, or even larger. In smaller 

 sizes, codieums are much used as table plants, for which 

 purpose well-colored tops are rooted and grown on 

 until they are from 12 to 15 inches high. The narrow- 

 leaved varieties are most used for this purpose. Codi- 

 eums are very attractive in vases and window-boxes 

 and for mantel and table decorations. They are also 



