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of this palm in cultivation. Mr. Watson, the curator of the 
Royal Gardens, Kew, England, assures me that it has never 
blossomed at that institution, nor to his knowledge in Europe. 
About two months ago it again showed signs of blooming, and 
in a short time put forth its thick horny spathes. These form an 
erect sword-shaped organ which at maturity falls away from the 
inflorescence which spreads out into a large bright yellow panicle 
of flowers, the bright color being due to the large number of 
staminate flowers. The flowers are arranged usually in groups 
mature and fall away, when the central or pistillate flower rapidly 
develops. 
As a result of the first blooming quite a quantity of fertile seed 
was developed. The fruit is of a saffron color and of about the 
size of very small peas. From this source we were fortunate in 
securing a number of seedlings, the growth of which has been 
watched with much interest to see if they would develop the 
spines which clothe the petioles and midribs of the leaves of 
medium-sized plants, and which are entirely absent in the parent 
plant above referred to. At the appearance of the second or 
third leaf these appeared as weak yellowish bristles, and as the 
little plants have gained strength and size the spines have grown 
more numerous and stronger, until they now more nearly ap- 
proach those appendages in more mature plants. Why the 
palm dispenses with the spines later on is not clear, but it may 
be that in its native country it is subject to the attack of brows- 
ing animals, so that in its young state it is necessary to have 
this armor of spines, a protection which is no longer needed 
when the plant attains a considerable height and its foliage is 
carried high in the air out of the reach of all such animals 
GrorGE V. Nasu. 
NOTES, NEWS AND COMMENT. 
Dr. N. L. Britton, Director-in-Chief, sailed for England on 
Aug. 16th. He will spend a few weeks at the Royal Gardens, 
at Kew, in study of the sedges, and also of the stonecrops. The 
