8 THE rnYSIOGNOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY 



mankind, as aflbixling food and raiment and 

 numerous articles of economical importance. 



The type of the palm tribe may be described 

 thus. A trunk rising erect from the ground 

 to a height varying according to the species, 

 unbranched, leafless, except at the top, but 

 scarred all over Avith the spots where leaves, 

 now dead and gone, have formerly been 

 attached. From the extreme summit there 

 springs a crown of gigantic leaves, with very 

 numerous divisions, which are cither disposed 

 like a feather, resembling enormous ostrich 

 plumes, or else like the ribs of an expanded 

 fan. From among this crown of leaves a bud 

 at length pushes, which, as it opens, is per- 

 ceived to be a large sheath, (something like the 

 flower of the common arum, or " lords and 

 ladies,") called by botanists a spathe, which dis- 

 closes an immense mass of flowers, and these at 

 length falling off, give birth in due time to 

 equally huge bunches of fruit. Such are the 

 ordinary features of a palm ; but there are 

 some exceptions. There is scarce!}' any trilx 

 of plants in which some species do not present 

 singular departures from the character of the 

 rest, forming " aberrant species," — transition 

 forms between one tribe and another — connect- 

 ing links, which show how nicely and wonder- 



