1196 



PALM 



PALM 



1624. 



Germination of 

 Chrysalidocar- 

 pus lutescens. 



(probably of volcanic origin), a mere dot on the broad 

 bosom of the South Pacific. 



Few Palms are found within the limits of the United 

 States as natives, the most common being the well- 

 known Palmetto, Sabal Palmetto, a member of the fan- 

 leaved section, to which possibly all of our native Palms 

 belong. But while the species of Palms 

 found native in the United States are 

 limited in numbers, yet there is at least 

 one unique species in the group in the 

 form of Pseudophcenix Sargenti, a 

 monotypic Palm, that is only known to 

 exist in a wild state on certain of the 

 Florida Keys, and in quite limited num- 

 bers even there. 



Europe is even less favored as to na- 

 tive Palms, there being but one species 

 known there in that condition, Chamce- 

 rops humilis, also a fan-leaved species 

 and comparatively hardy, being capable 

 of enduring moderate frosts. 



The Palm tree of the Bible is doubt- 

 less the Date Palm, Phoenix dactylifera, which is found 

 in large numbers throughout Syria to this day ; and in 

 fact the small grove of dates within easy reach of the 

 Syrian householder forms one of his most valuable 

 assets, for it provides food not only for his family, but 

 frequently for his horses or camels also. 



The act of producing flowers does not necessarily ter- 

 minate the life of a Palm, though in some instances 

 such an effect may be produced by this cause; but a 

 singular habit has been noted in regard to the flowering 

 of the Fish-tail Palm, Caryota urens, which when it 

 reaches maturity begins to throw out a flower-spike 

 from the top of the stem, this being followed by succes- 

 sive spikes of flowers, and ultimate bunches of seeds 

 from the top of the plant downwards, the flower-spikes 

 appearing at the joints of the stem, and when this pro- 

 cess of flowering has proceeded down to the ground, or 

 until the vitality of the plant has been exhausted, death 

 ensues. 



There are also a number of species of Palms that de- 

 velop a soboliferous habit, throwing up a number of 

 shoots from the base of the plant, Rhapis flabellifor- 

 mis, sometimes known as the Ground Rattan, being a 

 good example of this class, among which the widely 

 grown and elegant Chrysalidocarpus lutescens is also 

 found, together with the Geonomas, some of the Phoe- 

 nix and various other genera. Many of the Palms are 

 unisexual, but there are also many others in which both 

 male and female flowers are produced on the same 

 spadix, in some instances the males being groxiped to- 

 gether near the ends of the branches of the inflores- 

 cence and the females nearer to the main stem, while 

 in others a female is placed between two males, thus 

 arranging the flowers in threes. 



Cross-pollination of Palms by artificial means has 

 probably been seldom practiced, there being few culti- 

 vated collections in which the opportunity for such an 

 operation has presented itself; but it seems highly prob- 

 able that such cross-fertilization has been accidentally 

 effected among wild plants, for in large lots of seed- 

 lings intermediate forms are frequently seen, this pe- 

 culiarity having been noted among Howea seedlings, 

 where forms intermediate between H. JBelmoreana and 

 H. Forsterlana are found, and sometimes seedlings 

 that seem to combine the characteristics of H. Belmo- 

 reana and those of its near relative Hedyscepe Canter- 

 buryana. Similar variations from a given type have 

 also been noted among the Phoenix, several so-called 

 species being most likely merely varieties. 



Many Palms are armed with stout thorns or prickles, 

 not only the stems but also the leaves and even the 

 fruits in some species being thus guarded, these prickles 

 being usually very hard and tough. In some cases, 

 notably Acanthorhiza stauracantha, the prickles around 

 the stem are often branched, and are decidedly un- 

 pleasant to come in contact with. In the case of Des- 

 moncus, this being the western representative of the 

 Rattan Palms, the tip of the midrib of the leaf is con- 

 tinued in the form of a hooked spine, and helps to sup- 

 port the plant in its scandent career. The sharp spines 

 of certain Palms are used for poisoned arrows by some 



of the South American tribes, these arrows being pro- 

 jected through a blow-pipe formed from a section of the 

 hollow stem of another Palm. Among the species of 

 Phoenix it is often found that several of the leaflets 

 nearest to the base of the leaf are developed as spines, 

 these thorny leaflets becoming stiff and hard, and capa- 

 ble of making a very sore wound. 



The very great economical value of many of the Palms 

 can only be touched upon within the limits of the pres- 

 ent article, the uses to which not only the fruits but afso 

 the stems and leaves are put by the natives of many tropi- 

 cal countries being enough of themselves to fill volumes. 

 One prominent instance of this great utility is the 

 Palmyra Palm, of which a Hindoo poet enumerated over 

 800 different uses. Other notable examples include the 

 Cocoanut Palm, the fruits of which are imported by 

 hundreds of tons every year, and 

 in addition to providing a valuable 

 food, either fresh or in a desiccated 

 condition, also produce that very 

 valuable fiber from which cordage, 

 matting and a great variety of 

 goods are manufactured. Also the 

 Phoenix family, which produces 

 the dates of commerce in appar- 

 ently endless supply, and the date 

 sugar of Bengal, this being con- 

 tributed by Phoenix sylvestris, 

 while the stems of Date Palms .are 

 often used in house-building in the 

 East. Another very valuable Palm 

 product is found in Palm oil, this 

 being largely derived from the 

 fruits of Elceis Guineensis, the oil 



1625. Livistona 

 Chinensis. 



1626. Germination of Cocos 

 Weddelliana. 



being expressed from the ripe fruits in much the same 

 manner that olive oil is manufactured. The rattan of 

 commerce is chiefly composed of the flexible stems of 

 various calami, the plentiful supply of this material be- 

 ing sufficiently attested by the great variety of articles 

 manufactured therefrom. Various Palms have been 



