118 



PALMS. 



form catkins or a great bunch 

 called raceme; the fruit is a 

 fleshy or fibrous drupe contain- 

 ing a very hard, bony nut. 

 Nearly all these large and beau- 

 tiful trees belong to the inter- 

 tropical regions ; many of them 

 furnish the inhabitants of the 

 countries in which they grow 

 naturally, wholesome and plea- 

 sant food ; the date tree and 

 cocoa-nut yield excellent fruits ; 

 the cabbage-tree palm bears a 

 terminal bud which may be com- 

 pared to our common cabbage, 

 and several other species yield 

 a fecula named sago. By in- 

 cision into the spathe at the top 

 of the stems of some, a saccha- 

 rine liquor, termed siceet toddy, 

 is procured, which when fer- 

 mented constitutes Palm wine, 

 and yields by distillation arrack, 

 or rack. The date tree Fivx- 

 nix (the Greek name of the 



Fig. 140. DATE PALM. 



date) furnishes a great part of the diet of the inhabitants of 

 Arabia and part of Persia. They make a conserve of it with 

 sugar ; and even grind the hard stones in their handmills for 

 their camels. The leaves are manufactured into baskets, bags, 

 brushes, &c., and the stem is used in building, and another part 

 of the plant is made into rope and rigging for small vessels.* The 

 palms of Scripture are the leaves of the date tree. 



The genus Ca'lamus (from the Greek kalamos, a reed) fur- 

 nishes the several species of rattan-canes, whose flexible stems 

 when split are woven into chair-bottoms. 



59. The FAMILY OF ASPHODE'LF^E, or Asparigi'nese, belongs 

 to the class of Monoperigy'nia, and is composed of herbaceous 

 plants with fibrous roots, the fruit of which is a capsule with three 

 cells, or a globular berry. Common asparagus, the young shoots 

 of which are eaten, is the type of this gro*up. 



* The Phoenix, according to the Linnean arrangement, is in the class 

 Dicecia, order Triandria ; while the Calamus, another genus of the Pal- 

 macege, is in the class Hexa'ndria, and order Monogy'nia. 



What is sweet toddy ? What is arrack ? What tree furnishes dates ? What 



are rattans ? 



L 59. What are the characters of the Asphode'leae ? 



