THE PALMS OF EUROPE AND AFIilCA, 35 



CHAPTER III. 



THE PALMS OF EUROPE AND AFRICA. 



We now proceed to a detail of facts connected 

 with the more interesting and important out of 

 tlie 440 species which constitute the tribe of 

 palms, so far as at present known and described. 

 la so doing, we will take those first which are 

 found native in the continents of Europe and 

 Africa. In Europe, we have but two species — 

 Chamcerops himiilis, the dwarf fan palm, which 

 is abundant in Spain and Italy, as also in the 

 north of Africa, covering large tracts of land in 

 those countries ; and the date palm, (PhcenLv 

 dactylijh'ci,) which is, however, probably not 

 an original native of Europe, but has been 

 introduced into Italy and Spain from Africa. 



The date palm is one of the best known, and 

 probably the earliest known of all the palms ; 

 and though belonging to a family which abounds 

 and flourishes mostly in tropical regions, itself 

 attains perfection only in comparatively liigh 

 latitudes. It is no doubt the species to which 



