100 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



their foliage at the top, produce a beautiful, waving, 

 feather-like appearance. 



The leaves have a strong mid-rib from twelve to four- 

 teen feet long, on which the leaflets are placed alter- 

 nately ; these are from six to nine inches long, and are 

 nearly triangular, having very sharp points. The flowers 

 come out round the top of the trunk of the tree in large 

 clusters : they are inclosed in a large spathe or sheath, 

 and the nuts afterwards are formed in large clusters, ten 

 or twelve together. When all the parts of the flowers 

 have gained a due degree of perfection, the spathe splits 

 on the under side, from the bottom upwards, and exposes 

 the common bunch, with all its flowers, to the open air. 

 Most of these are males, and fall off gradually as the spathe 

 withers, leaving the embryo fruit, which is generally fixed 

 to the lower and stronger part of the stalk, to increase and 

 ripen gradually. 



This fruit is properly a berried Drupe, superior, very 

 large, ovate, rounded-three-cornered, umbilicate both 

 ways, tawny or reddish, becoming finally of a very pale 

 red or brownish colour : the skin is thin and very tough; 

 the substance under this, investing the shell, is extremely 

 fibrous. The shell itself is of a bony substance, ovate, 

 three-sided, and acuminate, marked with three raised 

 spurious sutures, and having three holes at the base closed 

 with a black membrane. The kernel adheres all round 

 the inner wall of the shell, and the cavity is filled with a 

 milky liquor. Browne, Gartner, Lunan. 



The Spaniards call it Palma de las Indias; and the Por- 

 tuguese Coco, from the three holes in the shell, which give 

 it the appearance of a monkey's head. 



The kernel, or substance which adheres to the interior 

 of the shell of the cocoa-nut, is very nourishing, and is 

 used instead of almonds in milks, emulsions, &c. These 

 emulsions, when added to coffee instead of cream, give 



