16 PALMA.CEAE 



tendrils on their petioles; small dioecious greenish polypeta- 

 lous flowers in stacked axillary clusters; and small few-seeded 

 dark berries. 



1. Leaves whitened beneath. 2. 

 Leaves not whitened beneath. 3. 



2. Leaves ovate. S. glauca. 

 Leaves oblong. S. laurifolia. 



3. Leaves not lobed. 4. 



Leaves often halberd-shaped or 3-lobed. S. Bona-nox. 



4. Fruit black. 5. 



Fruit red. S. Waiteri. 



5. Prickles stout. S. rotundifolia. 

 Prickles needle-like, black. S. hispida. 



YUCCA. Spanish Bayonet. 



Evergreen herbs, or sometimes large thick-trunked airl 

 much branched woody plants, with "endogenous" wood, alter- 

 nate simple sword-shaped leaves often pungently pointed; 

 rather large usually white panicled cup-shaped perfect poly- 

 petalous flowers; and rather large fleshy (or in other species 

 capsular) 3-celled fruit with numerous flat seeds*. 



1. Leaves very rough-edged. Y. aloifolia. 

 Leaves at least for a time with marginal threads. 2. 



2. Leaves stiff, rough, soon threadless. Y. Treculeana. 

 Leaves flexible, smooth. 3. 



3. Leaves pendulous. 4. 



Leaves not pendulous. Y. gloriosa. 



4. Fruit indehiscent. Y. recurvifolia. 

 Fruit capsular. Y. flaccida. 



Family PALMACEAE. Palm Family. 



A large family of woody evergreen plants of various habit, 

 chiefly of tropical regions where they are of the greatest eco- 

 nomic importance in many respects: extensively grown in 

 conservatories and for house decoration, and in the warmer 

 parts of the country sometimes planted as avenue trees. 



