THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON, 



991 



are 1-1 j inch broad, diminishing in width towards the base of the 

 leaf, where they are not more than £ inch wide. Rhachis of leaf 

 reduced to a thin truncate undulate border, and the ligula is 

 crescent-shaped, about £ inch long, £ inch thick, and 1 inch wide, 

 and is furnished near the middle with a flat nearly triangular point 

 ijr inch long, petiole thin and flexible, f inch wide at the base of 

 the blade, rounded and ridged on the upper and lower sides, about 

 as long as the blade of the leaf, and enlarged below into the 

 elongated sheath, which is coated while young with a thick felt- 

 like hoary tomentum. Three or four panicles of flowers, from 2-5 

 feet in length, usually appear each year ; secondaiy branches much 

 flattened, recurved, and 4-6 inches in length, the slender flower- 

 bearing branchlets being from 1^-8 inches long, and in the axils 

 of ovate acute scarious brownish bracts about £ inch long and £ 

 inch wide ; spathes coriaceous, pubescent above the middle, and 



often ciliate on the mar- 



CD 



Fig. 11. 



Thrinax parviflora. 



1. Diagram of flower. 2. A flower (enlarged). 



3. Longitudinal section of pistil (enlarged). 

 (After Sargent.) 



gins at the apex. Flow- 

 ers raised on rigid spread- 

 ing pedicels J inch in 

 length; perianth cup-like, 

 6-lobed ; stamens usual- 

 ly 6, with slender ex- 

 serted filaments slightly 

 united below and large 

 oblong light yellow 

 anthers ; ovary subglo- 

 bose, dark orange-colour- 

 ed, surmounted by an 

 elongated style dilated 

 r, into a broad oblique stig- 

 ma (Fig. 11). Fruit 

 dark chestnut-brown or 

 nearly black, rather less 

 than ^ inch in diameter, 

 with a thin somewhat 

 fleshy outer coat closely 



