﻿i 



JOURNAL 



OF THE 



ASIATIC SOCIETY 



Part II.— PHYSICAL SCIENCE, &c. 

 No. IV.— 1874. 



Enumeration oe Burmese Palms, — B^ S. Kurz. 



(Eeceived Oct. 12, read Dec. 3, 1873.) 



(With Plates XII— XXXI.) 



In working up my Burmese palms, I find that a few of them are new. 

 I now propose to describe these and to give at the same time an enumera- 

 tion of all the species that have hitherto been found in Burma, adding also 

 a conspectus so as to facilitate their identification. The rattans, however, 

 are in such a state of confusion that little can be done until the material 

 for description becomes more complete and the almost inextricable synony- 

 my of the described species has been properly cleared up. 



I have not paid special attention to palms in the field, but a few- 

 remarks on variation may not be out of place here. 



The size of the palms is often enough variable and, amongst the many 

 examples, I shall mention only Phoenix paludosa, the stem of which varies 

 in height from only 2 or 3 ft. up to 15 to 25 ft. Sobolification is a character 

 of little value in my eyes. I look upon it rather as an idiosyncrasy, 

 and, therefore, not even as a sufficient character on which to establish a 

 variety. No doubt in very many species this character has become general 

 and constant, but atavisms are not unfrequent. We know, for example, cases 

 in which the common betel-nut palm has made as many as 7 shoots, and simi- 

 lar examples are not wanting (especially in Fhoenix, Cocos, Arenga, Euterpe), 

 Areca triandra has simple and soboliferous trunks with all intermediate 

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