THE PALMS 01 BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 517 



Description. — Stem lofty, massive, smooth, obsciirely annulate, 

 15-25 feet high, 1-1 1 foot in diameter at the base, in the 

 upper part about thrice as thick on account of the persistent 

 petioles. Leaves 15-30, densely arranged, over 15 feet long; 

 linear-lanceolate in outline ; segments thinly papyraceous, oblanceo- 

 late, obtuse, or rotundate-acuminate, the upper ones 1 foot long 

 and 1 inch broad, arranged in groups of 3, 4, 5 or 6, at intervals 

 along the midrib, from which they stand out in different directions, 

 very long and drooping. • 



Spadices numerous, growing from the bases of the lower leaves, 

 simply branched and > very densely clustered, 2 feet and more long ; 

 spathes large, spindel-shaped, ventricose, woody, the upper one 

 produced into a long beak which reaches almost 6 inches. 

 Branches of spadix numerous, male ones ^-| foot long, densely 

 covered with flowers about 1-1^ inch above the base, androgynous 

 ones stouter, 2-3 inches long, developing above the base 1-3 

 (rarely more) female flowers and then ending in a short male spike. 

 Male flowers \-^ inch long, calyx ^ inch long, triphyllous; 

 corolla |- inch long, infundibuliform. Stamens 6, exserted; anthers 

 more or less ^ inch long. Female flowers more than - inch long ; 

 calyx firmly convolute ; corolla included in the calyx. 



Drupe about 1 g inch long, elongate, beaked, with a tough brown 

 outer skin, beneath which is a layer of soft fleshy pulp of an 

 agreeable subacid flavoin% covering a hard stony seed ; putamen 

 sometimes ovoid-oblong acuminate, usually acute at both ends. 



Habitat. — Brazil, Guiana, Bolivia. 



Uses. — The terminal leaf-bud furnishes a most delicious cabbaece. 

 The great woody spathes form ready-made baskets used by the 

 natives for carrying earth, clay, and sometimes for cradles ; the 

 hunters use them to cook meat in, as with water in them they 

 stand the fire well. The fruits are often eaten. 



C0C08, L. 



Species about 30, all American, one of them cosmopolitan in the 

 tropics. 



(From Coco, the Portuguese for monkey ; alluding to the end of 

 the nut being like a monkey's head.) 



Cultivation in Europe. — Elegant stove palms. They grow 

 well in a compost of two parts rich loam, one part peat, and one 

 of sand. When growing they must be supplied with plenty of 

 water ; as winter approaches the quantity of water should be gradu- 

 ally diminished. They are not so well suited for subtropical 

 gardening as many other genera of palms ; but in a well-drained 

 and sheltered spot, it is probable several of the species might 

 prove satisfactory. 



