Sarrorp: Nores OF A NATURALIST AFLOAT—1 125 
coconuts. On this account, this species is somet mes 
called the ‘‘rasp palm.” 
Among the dwarf palms of the Isthmus are species of 
Chamedorea and Geonoma, some of which have remote 
lanceolate pinne, with the terminal pair suggesting the 
forked fin of a fish’s tail. The young inflorescences of 
certain species of Chamedorea are eaten in Central Amer- 
ica and Mexico, and are there known as “‘tepejilote’” 
(“green corn of the mountains,” or “wild roasting ears”). 
Another small palm, armed with needlelike spines, is 
minor, sometimes called “cafia brava” by the 
natives and “prickly pole’? by the West Indian negroes 
on the Isthmus; and on the edges of the woods there is 8 
_ elimbing palm, also very prickly (Desmoncus th 
 ealled “matamba” by the natives, who use it for deco- 
rating their altars and for making garlands.* 
On the edge of the openings in the forest, trailing over 
the bushes, grows a pretty climbing fern, Lygodium 
radiatum, with fronds having three to seven segments. _ 
The accompanying figure (PLATE 5) was drawn by Mr. 
re Bolton from specimens of the original collee- 
tion sacle on the Isthmus by Dr. Sutton Hayes, one of — 
the most enthusiastic collectors who ever visited this 
