507 



THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON, 

 INDIGENOUS AND INTRODUCED. 



BY 



E. Blatter, S.J. 



Part XVI. 



( With Plates— LXXXIV—LXXXVIII .) 



(Gooitiimed from parfe 340 of this Volume.) 

 7. COCOINEJ^. 



Upper spathe of spadix complete, opening on the ventral side 

 at the time of flowering, persistent (in Elaeis opening irregularly 

 and caducous) ; lower one short or rudimentarj^. Ovary of 3 

 united carpels (of 3-6 in Oo-hignya and others) ; each carpel having 

 at its base a seed deeply embedded in the central placenta ; the 

 loculi disappear in the fleshy mass of the carpels. Drupe of 3 (-6) 

 strongly united carpels ; remains of the stigma apical. Stone 1, 

 formed by 3 syncarpous carpels, mostly with 1 seed (rarely 2 or 

 3-6). Seed with a rough testa, mostly with a raphe distinctly 

 ascending on the inner side. — Leaves paripinnate ; leaflets re- 

 duplicate. 



Distribution : — America between 25*^ N. L. and 35° S. L. One 

 species of Elaeis and one of Cocos have a wider distribution. 



a. Stth-trihe : ELAEIDE^E. 



Spadix branched. Flowers solitary, or male flowers in pairs 

 included in deep cavities of the stout branches. Male flowers with 

 the stamens united. Calyx and corolla of the female flowers of 

 about the same length, imbricate ; endocarp with 3 pits situated 

 in the upper half or near the apex ; radicle of the embryo oblic[uely 

 ascending. 



Barcella, Trl., Elaeis, Jacq. 



One species of Elaeis is cultivated in India. 



ELAEIS, Jacq. Stirp. Amer., 280. t. 172.— Benth. et Hook. f. 

 Gen. PI. Ill, 944.— H. B. et K. Nov. Gen. et Sp. I, 306 (Alfonsia). 



Stem unbranched, erect or decumbent, annulate, clothed with old 

 petiole-bases. Leaves many in a terminal crown, large, pinnate ; 

 petiole short, thick, spiny on the margins or unarmed, with a short 

 open sheathing base ; leaflets ensiform, acuminate, recurved at the 

 base. 

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