166 



berries are of a pleasant taste, but in some instances 

 of a strong flavor ; they are the largest among American 

 Grapes. 



Voandzeia subterranea, Thouars. 



Madagascar and various parts of Africa, as far south as 

 Natal. This Earth-Pea is annual, and pushes its pods 

 under ground in the manner of Arachis hypogsea for matu- 

 ration. The pods are edible, and much consumed in tropical 

 countries. 



Wallichia oblongifolia, Griffith. 



Hiinalaia, as far as 27 North. There one of the 

 hardiest of all Palms. It is not a tall one, yet a graceful 

 and useful object for cultural industries. Several species 

 exist. 



Wettinia augusta, Poeppig. 



Peru, on mountains several thousand feet high. This Palm 

 is therefore likely to endure our clime. 



Wettinia Maynensis, Spruce. 



Cordilleras of Peru. Like the foregoing it attains a height 

 of 40 feet, and advances to elevations of 3000 feet or 

 4000 feet. Before finally parting from the American Palms, 

 it may be appropriate to allude briefly to some of the hardier 

 kinds, which were left unnoticed in the course of this com- 

 pilation. From Dr. Spruce's important essay on the Palms 

 of the Amazon Eiver may be learnt, that besides other 

 species, as yet imperfectly known from the sources of this 

 great river, the following kinds are comparatively hardy ; 

 thus they might find places for cultivation or even naturaliza- 

 tion within the limits of our Colony: Geonema undata, 

 Klotzsch ; Iriartea delto'idea, E. and P. ; Iriartea ventricosa, 

 Mart., which latter rises in its magnificence to fully 100 feet ; 

 Iriartea exorrhiza, Mart. ; this with the two other Iriarteas 

 ascends the Andes to 5000 feet. Oenocarpus multicaulis, 

 Spruce ; ascends to 4000 feet ; from 6 to 10 stems are 

 developed from the same root, each from 15 feet to 30 feet 



