THE PALMS OF BRITISH INDIA AND CEYLON. 913 



tlie abortive carpels at the apex : endocarp crustaceous-woody, thin. 

 Seed free in the endocarp ; hilnm basilar ; albumen deeply rumi- 

 nate ; embryo basilar near the hilum. 



Species about 9. 



Distribution. — Brazil, Venezuela, Argentine, S. Domingo, Cuba, 

 New Granada. 



COPERNICIA CERIFEBA, Mart. Hist. Nat. Palm. Ill, 56, t. 49 et 50 

 (excl. fig. 10) et 242 (partim).— Becc. in Webbia, II (1907) 145— C'on//)^« 

 cerifera, Man. Arrucla da Caniara, in Koster Travels in Brazil (1816) App, 

 (ex. Mart. 1. c. 66). 



Names. — Brazilian AVax Palm ; Carnauba (in Brazil). 



Description. — Stem 30-40 feet high, cylindric, erect, at the 

 base usually slighth' thickened, 6-8 inches in diameter, covered 

 with the bases of fallen leaves, either in the upper part only or 

 throughout. Leaves 4-6| feet long, forming a large spherical 

 crown. Petiole 2-3 feet long Avith the base dilated, depressed, a 

 little concave above and convex below, armed on the margins with 

 stout, compressed spines ; ligule glabrous, semirotundate-oblong, 

 finely coriaceous ; rhachis ; limb suborbicular in outline,, 

 flabelliform-multifid, undivided in the central part for about 

 1-1^ feet from the apex of the petiole and on the sides only for 

 about i-14 inches, thinljr coriaceous, cereo-pulverulent or whitish 

 on both surfaces, divided into about 60 segments ; central segments 

 2f feet long from the apex of the petiole and about It inches 

 wide where broadest. 



Spadices much elongate, erect-patent, 5-6 feet long, thrice 

 divided, composed of several partial inflorescences which are 

 alternately superposed. Primary spathes elongate, tubular, cylin- 

 dric (at least above where they measure about ^ inch in dian-.eter), 

 finely striate lengthwise, glabrous, obliquely truncate at the mouth 

 where the margin is entire or scarcely reticulate-fibrous, prolonged 

 on one side into a triangular, acute, dorsally carinate point ; 

 partial inflorescences laxly paniculate-elongate ; panicles divided 

 into 6-7 branches, each arising from within a tubular spathe 

 which resembles the primary spathes except for being smaller and 



more attenuate in the lower pai't, branches densely i^ilose-velutin- 

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