156 



PALMS. 



Fig. 130, 



This simple fact might suggest to the young, that in order to be 

 ^ desirable to others, they must be agreeable ; the mere circumstance 

 of a fine person, cannot long render tolerable, the society of one who 

 possesses neither useful nor amiable qualities. 



The Family of Palms 



The palms have mostly a liliaceous corolla with 6 stamens ; but 

 some are moncecious, and others, dioscious ; while a part have their 

 stamens and pistils within the same corolla and belong to the class 

 Hexandria. 



Fig. 130 represents 

 a young palm tree, 

 (Chamcerops humilis ;)* 

 at a, is the fibrous root ; 

 h c, represents the oldest 

 part of the stipe, show- 

 ing, by the lines and 

 dots, the place of in- 

 sertion of the first 

 leaves ; c b, represents 

 the upper part of the 

 stipe, still covered with 

 the sheathing bases of 

 the petioles; d, repre- 

 sents the crowning, 

 terminal leaves — these 

 are petioled, fan-shap- 

 ed, and plaited when 

 young; the petioles are 

 armed with prickles. 

 Palms live to a great 

 age ; they are the pro- 

 duct of tropical regions, 

 and aflbrd the date, co- 

 coa-nut, and other valu- 

 able fruits. 



Miscellaneous Examples of Plants in the 6th Class and \st Order. 



In this class and order is the Spiderwort, (Tradescantia.) It has 

 stamens, 3 petals, 3 sepals, and the capsule is3-celled. The leaves 

 are ensiform and very long. It remains in blossom nearly the whole 

 summer, and is well worth cultivation, both for its cheerful appear- 

 ance, and constant botanical characters. The Snow-drop is of the 

 same natural, a^ well as artificial order, as the Spiderwort. 



You may be surprised to find, in company with so many elegant 

 flowers, the onion and bulrush ; but you must recollect that the title 

 to admission into this class and order is 6 stamens and 1 pistil ; and 

 no plant, however humble, with these characteristics, is excluded 



• Ahhough we have described this plant under the class Hexandria, in conformity 

 with the classification of some writers, it is questionable whether it does not rather 

 belong to Dioecia. In the Appendix, at Plate i. Fig. 1, is a representation of the Are- 

 ca, which belongs to the Palm-tribe, and at Plate iii. Fig. 3, is a representation of the 

 same palm-tree as seen at Fig. 130. 



Palms— Describe Fig. 130— Spiderwort— Humble plants placed with those which 

 are beautiful. 



