230 HEXANDRIA, TRIGVNIA. 



none. Ca;?s?//e (utriculus?)subcarnose, 1-celled, 

 1 to 2-seede(], crowned by the i)ersistent style. 



An aquatic plant; leaves without sheathing petioles; 

 those of the stem detmersed, opposite, digitate, complicate- 

 ly and trichotomously divided, segments Imear; floral 

 leaves floating, alternate, orbicular, peltate, entire; flow- 

 ers solitary, axillary. 



Species. 1. "S. agnatica. The only species of the genus, 

 indigenous to the warmer parts of the U. S. and tropical 

 America. The J^'. pinna ta of Mr. {*ursh is probably a va- 

 riety, but certainly a very different plant from Fioerkea. 



Order III.— TRIGYNIA. 

 339. SABAL. Jdanson, (Small Fan-palm.) 



Flowers hermaphrodite. — Spathes partial. 

 Filaments of the stamina unconnected, thickish 

 at the base. Drupe spherical, dry and cartila- 

 ginous, 1-seeded. Seed indurated. Embryon 

 lateral. 



Stemless, orwith a caudex sometimes a little elongated-; 

 frond palmate, fanshaped, stipe unarmed; flowers pani- 

 culated (or the spadixj branched.) 



Species. 1. S- .idnnsojii. In troublesome abundance 

 aroimd New Orlf-ans; but less frequent than otlicr species 

 in Georgia and Carolina. — The friut is about the size ajid 

 form of" black pepper, and almost of a horny consistence. 

 The strips of the leaves are h.andwove or platted into va- 

 rious utensils by the indigenes. There can be no reason 

 to suppose that' the Ironds of this species can be less ser- 

 viceable for platting' into hats than those of C/uancerops 

 palmetto, a very durable manufacture, and justly esieemed 

 in London. 



2. Uistrix. Pursh, Flor. Am. 1. p. 240. under Chamarops. 

 The fronds undistinguishable from those of the preceding 

 species by any other character than the appearance of 

 long axillarij spines; the iiiflorefecence has not yet been 

 con pared; its rare occurrence aniidsi so much of S. ^idan- 



•j- There is, however, nothing similar to the spadix of the 

 Aroidex eitlier in this or the fbllov -i.g genus; a sophistical 

 circumstance with which many of my readers will doubtless be 

 unacquaiiited. 



