THE PALMS OF BHITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 347 



spreading, sui'rounded at the base and the primary branches by 

 spathes, glabrous or slightly villous. Peduncle less than 1 inch 

 thick ; the upper part irregularly divided ; the last branches 3-5 

 inches long. Basilar spathes, compressed, tubular, with the apex 

 bifid; segments triangular, woody-coriaceous, longitudinally 

 grooved. Secondary spathes lanceolate, convex on the ventral side, 

 apex bifid and obliquely open, membranous-coriaceous, villous. 

 Flowers small, white, of an unpleasant smell, usually 4 together. 

 Calix subcampanulate, with 3 rounded teeth having membranous 

 margins. Corolla companulate, larger than the calix, divided 

 below the middle into 3 cordate, erect segments. Stamens 6, 

 included ; filaments compressed, united at the base, free in the 

 upper part, those opposite the petals a little larger ; anthers small, 

 ovate, dorsifixed below the middle, bifid at the base, apex round- 

 ed ; pollen elliptic. Ovary small, scarcely half as long as the 

 corolla, 3-carpellary, carpels more or less united ; ovules erect, 

 elliptic, one or two usually smaller than the third. Style trigonous. 

 Fruit-bearing spadix nodding, with sub-secund branches. Berry 

 usually one, rarely 2 or 3, olive-shaped, oblong, dull-blue, 7 lines 

 long and 4|- wide. Seed oblong, greyish, on a longitudinal 

 section reniform, intrant process sub-central; embryo opposite 

 to this a little below the centre of the dorsal face, lookino- 

 downwards. 



Germination. — According to Gatin the cotyledonal petiole forms 

 quite in the beginning a swelling just outside the seed. The radi- 

 cle remains for a long time the principal root, but later on lateral 

 roots are developed which, as to their size, equal or surpass 

 the principal one. The first vegetative leaf is reduced to a 

 sheath. 



Habitat. — China and Japan. — Cultivated in gardens. 



Flowers in January and February. 



Cultivation in India.—'- This is perhaps the commonest and 

 finest fan palm in Indian gardens. Its grand fan-shaped leaves 

 gracefully disposed on long petioles, armed with short recurved 

 spines, and rising from a network of brown fibre, render it very 

 attractive. The length of the petiole varies with the position of 

 the plant, being longer in slight shade than in the open. The 



