THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 699 



CHAMCEROPS, L. GEN. NOT. 1219. 



(From the Greek " Chamcerops " : " chamai " = on the ground, 

 and "rops" = bush. Plinius called it Chamoerepes, which means 

 " creeping on the ground.' 7 ) 



Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. III. 248, t. 120, 124 fsp. 1).— Kunth 

 Enum. PL III. 248.— Drude Bot. Zeitg. 1877, 638.— Benth and 

 Hook. Gen. PI. 924, 86. 



Stem mostly low, bushy-ceespitose, covered with the remains of 

 the petioles, leaves terminal, stiff, fan-shaped, regularly divided; 

 petioles slender, spinous. Spadix short, erect, with mostly 2 

 leathery spathes, flowers digecious or polygamous on the short 

 branches of the simply-branched spadix, small, yellow. Petals 

 broadty ovate-acute. Stamens 6 ( — 9) ; filaments short, situated 

 on a fleshy cup. Carpels thick-fleshy with sessile stigmas, each 

 flower developing 3 berries, rarely more, sometimes less. Berry 

 elongateerect, with the remains of the stigma slightly lateral, 

 reddish-brown or yellowish. Seed elliptic or ovate. Albumen 

 ruminate. 



Species 2. — In the western part of the Mediterranean region. 



CHAMAEROPS HUMILIS, L. Hort. Cliff. 482 ; Willd . Spec. PI. IV. 

 1154, n. 1 ; Houttuyn Pflanzensyst 1 . 55 ; Giseke Prael. Orel. nat. 27 ; Sa- 

 vigny in Lam . Encycl. IV, 714, et. Illustr. gen. t. 900 ; Spreng. Syst. Veg. 

 H. 137, n. 1 ; Roem. Schult. Syst. Veg. VII. 2. 1488, n. 1 ; Mill. 

 Diction. I. 669 ; Brotero Fl. Lusit. I. 605 ; Cambess. Plant. Balear. in Mem. 

 clu Mus. XIV. 321 ; Herrera Agricultura general ( 1818 ) II. 389 ; Allion. Fl. 

 edemont. II. 363, n. 866 ;P De Cand, Fl. Franc, III. 723 ; Moris Elench. 

 Stirp. sard. I. 47 ; Sebast. et Mauri Prodr. : -Fl. Eoman. 135 ; Tenore Sylloge 

 Fl. Neapol. 535 ; Philippi in Linnsea VII. 759, 760 ; Poiret Voy. en Barbar. 

 II. 273 ; Desfont. Fl. Atlant. II. 436 ; Viviani Fl. Lib. specim. 62 ; Fraas 

 Synops. plant, flor. class. 278. 



Names : — Dwarf Fan Palm, European Palm ; Palmeira, Palma 

 das Vassouras (Portug.) ; Palmito, Margallonera ( Span. ) ; Palma 

 (Andal.) ; Palmiste (French); Palmito (Ital. ) ; Palmetta, Piumara, 

 Giummara, Ourina (Sicily). 



Description. — Grows in hot-houses to the height of 1-5 feet 

 and more ; but in Spain and Barbary it is not more than 4 or 5 feet 



