LIVISTONA 



LIVISTONA 



1895 



spathes many, long, tubular, compressed, sheathing the 

 peduncle, thick, coriaceous, bifid or 2-lipped, 2-keeled 

 or ancipital: no bracts or bractlets: fls. greenish: fr. 

 smooth and shining, oblong-globose or ellipsoidal, 

 black, blue, yellow or brown. About 14 species from 

 Trop. E. Asia, Malaya and Austral. From the seven 

 allied genera mentioned under Licuala, Livistona is dis- 

 tinguished by the following characters: fls. herma- 

 phrodite: carpels of the ovary globose, distinct or 

 slightly cohering: styles short, distinct or cohering: 

 albumen not twisted, broadly scooped out on the ven- 

 tral side: branches of the spadices not bracted or the 

 lower ones bracted. It is also remarkable in the group 

 in having a thread in the If.-segms., at least in many 

 of the species. 



In general, the members of this genus are by no 

 means difficult to grow, though it is well to make some 

 distinctions in culture between such strong-growing 

 and comparatively hardy palms as L. chinensis and L. 

 australis, and the more tender species from Java and 

 northern Australia, among which L. humilis, L. olivse- 

 formis and L. rotundifolia are prominent. For those of 

 the first section a strong loamy soil well enriched with 

 thoroughly decayed stable-manure, good drainage, an 

 abundance of water and a night temperature of 60 

 will provide satisfactory conditions for sturdy growth. 

 The more tropical species, of which L. rotundifolia is 

 a good example, make better progress in a somewhat 

 lighter soil and a higher temperature, 65 to 70 being 

 more congenial to them than the cool treatment 

 accorded their stronger relatives. More shade is also 

 required for the warmhouse species, in order to retain 

 the rich green color that a healthy livistona should 

 present. Red-spider and white scale are two of the 

 most troublesome insects to the grower of livistonas, 

 the first being controlled to a great'extent by thorough 

 syringing, while the latter may be eradicated by the 

 careful use of various insecticides, though avoiding the 

 frequent application of extract of tobacco, the continued 

 use of the latter substance often resulting in injury 

 to the foliage of livistonas. L. australis is a more 

 stubby-growing plant than L. chinensis, the fan-like 

 leaves are stiffer and less graceful, and the footstalks 

 are more thoroughly armed with stout spines, while 

 the leaves are also smaller in proportion to the plant 

 than those of L. chinensis. L. Hoogendorpii and L. 

 olivseformis are somewhat alike in young plants, but 

 the first has many more and coarser spines on the foot- 

 stalks, and the stalks of L. Hoogendorpii are generally 

 longer, the leaves of both being much divided. L. 

 rotundifolia and L. altissima are much alike in a small 

 state, and the writer is inclined to think that the seeds 



of the latter are sometimes substituted for those of L. 

 rotundifolia. The leaves of L. rotundifolia are flatter 

 and more even in outline, those of L. altissima being 

 somewhat undulated as though they were crowded on 

 the stalk. In fact, small plants of L. rotundifolia are 

 usually more symmetrical, and also have longer foot- 

 stalks or petioles. (W. H. TapJin.) 



altissima, 6. 

 australis, 7. 

 chinensis, 4. 

 decipiens, 10. 



INDEX. 



Hoogendorpii, 8. 

 humilis, 9. 

 Jenkinsiana, 1. 

 Marix, 7. 



olivaeformis, 3. 

 rotundifolia, 5. 

 subglobosa, 11. 

 Woodfordii, 2. 



2186. Livistona humilis. 



A. Li's, glaucous beneath. 



1. Jenkinsiana, Griff. Trunk 20-30 ft., about 6 in. 

 diam.: Ivs. 5-6 ft. broad, renifprm, flabellate, 70-80- 

 fid, glaucous beneath, the divisions very narrow, 

 straight, shortly and obtusely 2-toothed: spadix 2-3 

 ft., the branches forked; fls. in tiny bunches, small 

 and green: fr. bluish. Assam. G.W. 12, p. 208. Per- 

 haps not specifically distinct from L. chinensis. 



AA. Lvs. not glaucous beneath. 

 B. Petioles without spines. 



2. Woddfordii, Ridley. Petioles slender, without 

 thorns, only J^in. thick: Ivs. orbicular, quite thin, 2 

 ft. long, 18 in. wide, split into very narrow acuminate 

 lobes, the lower ones free almost to the base, the inner 

 ones split only one-fourth of the way down: spadices 

 very slender, the short slender branches protruding 

 from the mouths of tubular brown sheaths: drupe glo- 

 bose, ^gin. diam., bright red. Polynesia. First described 

 in G. C. III. 23:177. Nearly related to L. australis, 

 but more graceful, with smaller fls. and fr. 



BB. Petioles spiny below the middle, 

 c. Length of spines %in. or less. 



3. olivaeformis, Mart. (Corypha Gebdnga, Hort., in 

 part). Sts. medium: Ivs. glabrous; petiole somewhat 

 3-angled; spines retrorse, 1-3 lines long; segms. 12-15 

 in. long, deeply bilobed, the lobes very long, acuminate, 

 linear, pendent, with or without very short filaments: 

 fr. olive-shaped, solitary, or twin and connate to the 

 middle. Brazil. 



cc. Length of spines 1 in. or more. 

 D. Shape of Ivs. reniform. 



4. chinensis, R. Br. (Latdnia borbonica, Hort., not 

 Lam.). St. 6 ft. high, more than 1 ft. thick, gray, with 

 approximate rings: Ivs. many; petiole equaling the 

 blade, covered to about the middle with retrorse brown 

 spines, 1 in. or more long; blade reniform, 4-6 ft. diam.; 

 segms. linear-lanceolate, long-pendulous, deeply forked, 



filiferous, the lower 1-2 ft. long, 1-2 in. 

 wide, the middle 3 ft. long, the lobes acu- 

 minate, 4-8 in. long. China. G. 4:555. J.H. 

 111.48:185. Gn. M.6:288. G.W. 10:202. 



DD. Shape of Ivs. orbicular. 



5. rotundifdlia, Mart. (Chamgerops Biroo, 

 Sieb. C. Byrrho, Hort.). Trunk 40-50 ft. 

 high, 1-1^2 ft. diam., erect or rather weak, 

 brownish black, obscurely ringed; petiole 

 6 ft., with recurved spines 1 J^ in. long at 

 the base; blade 3-5 ft. diam., suborbicu- 

 lar, appearing, though not truly peltate; 

 segms. 60-90, connate for one-third their 

 length, bifid to the middle, the lobes long- 

 acuminate. Java. R.B. 21, p. 110.F. R. 

 1:301. S.H. 2:28. 



BBB. Petioles spiny from base to apex. 



c. Segms. of Ivs. free one-third of the 

 way down. 



6. altissima, Zoll. Mostly stemless, or 

 rarely a few feet of trunk: Ivs. bright 



