556 LXXTli. PALM^. [Phcenix. 



On the Bababuden hills in Mysore, on the Satpura range, and in other parts 

 of South and Central India, is found a small Phxienix, stemless, or with a 

 slender stem, attaining 6-10 ft., leaflets slender, fasciculate, in twos and threes, 

 less rigid than those of P. sylvestris and acaulis, fruit on long erect peduncles, 

 12-24 in. long, and ^^ in. broad, with numerous spikes 4-6 in. long, appar- 

 ently the same plant, from the Ghat forests, which DalzeU (Bombay FL 279), 

 doubtfully refers to P. paludosa. I have often found it, but do not know 

 whether the fruit turns black when ripe, or whether it is red. This, how- 

 ever, may not be a character of great moment. Eoxburgh, FL Ind. 785, de- 

 scribes P. farinifera with shining black fruit, stem 1-2 ft. high, 6 in. diameter, 

 leaflets rigid, opposite. If it were not for the description of stem and leaves, 

 I should be disposed to identify the slender-stemmed Phcenix of South and Cen- 

 tral India with P. farinifera, Roxb. Hamilton (Trans. Linn. Soc. xv. 87) states 

 that what Roxburgh calls P. fannifera, is common in all the hills of India 

 south of the Ganges, and is called Palawat in North India ; he adds, that its 

 leaves, which are not so rigid as those of the other species, are bruised and 

 twisted into ropes. Roxburgh states that it is a native of dry barren ground, 

 chiefly of the sandy lands at a small distance from the sea near Coringa. Fl. 

 Jan., Feb. ; the fruit ripens in May. He mentions that mats are made of the 

 leaves and baskets of the split petioles, that the exterior or woody part of the 

 trunk encloses a large quantity of farinaceous substance, used as food in times 

 of scarcity, and adds, that in 1791 and 1792 it saved many Uves. The identi- 

 fication of Roxburgh's tree, P. farinifera, is a matter of importance on account 

 of the food produced by it. The Telugu name given by him, Chilta-eita, is 

 Ghittita-chettu in Elliot's Flora Andhrica. 



A marked species, which cannot be confused with any of the others, is P. 

 palvdosa, Roxb. Fl. Ind. iii. 789 ; Griff. Palms, t. 229, A. B. It forms impene- 

 trable thorny thickets throughout the Sandarbans, in the Delta of the rivers 

 Irawaddee and Salween {Thimbaung, Burm.), in Penang and on the Andamans. 

 The stems are slender, 6-20 ft. high, annulate below, the upper part densely 

 covered with the thorny base of petioles. Leaflets narrow flaccid, white beneath, 

 fruit ovoid, first yellow, then red, at last black-purple, § in. long, not eatable. 



5. COCOS, Linn. 



Tall Palms, mostly with smooth annulate stems. Leaves pinnate, termi- 

 nal, petioles amplexicaul with fibrous base. Flowers monoicous, inflores- 

 cence of numerous simple spikes on a short and generally thick, sometimes 

 branching peduncle (spadix), enclosed in bud in 1 or 2 boat-shaped hard 

 coriaceous, often woody sheaths, opening longitudinally at the time of 

 flowering. Male flowers more numerous than female flowers, generally in 

 the upper part of the inflorescence j calyx 3-sepalous ; coroUa of 3 oblong 

 or lanceolate petals, valvate in bud. Stamens 6, filaments subulate, with 

 or without a (minute) rudimentary ovary. Female flowers : calyx of 3 

 imbricate broadly ovate or rounded sepals, supported by 2 bracts similar 

 to sepals ; petals smaller than sepals. Ovary 3-celled, surrounded by 

 6 stenle stamens. Fruit 1-seeded ; pericarp consisting of an outer fibrous 

 layer and an inner hard osseous kernel, which has 3 pores at the base. 

 Albumen fleshy, oily, with a central cavity ; embryo cylindric at the base 

 of the albumen, when germinating protruding through one of the pores 

 of the kernel. 



L 0. nucifera, Linn. ; Eoxb. Cor. PI. t. 73, Fl. Lad. iii. 614 ; Mart. 



