31 



Along the length of these woody, flexuous branches the flowers 

 were arranged in groups of three. These clusters were arranged 

 spirally; the divergence was probably either 2/5 or 3/8 of the 

 circle, but because of the flexuosity of the axis it was not pos- 

 sible to determine with certainty which was the actual value. 



Fig. 1. The spathe and spadix of Archontophoenix. At left the inner spathe 

 after removal from the outer. In center, the spathe splitting and exposing the 

 spadix, several branches of which have escaped. At right, the spadix after re- 

 moval from the spathe, showing the tight packing of the flower buds, x about 

 1/9. 



The triad of flowers, representing a principal and two lateral 

 accessory buds, stood in the axil of a small and inconspicuous 

 white bract. Each group consisted of a central pistillate flower 

 with a staminate flower on either side of it. Occasionally there 



