SPADICIFLOR^ 297 



ferd)\ the flowers are monoecious; the pericarp of the 

 fruit is divided into an external fibrous epicarp or 

 husk, and internal woody endocarp or shell; within 

 the shell, and closely adherent to it, is the single 

 large seed, consisting of a thick hollow endosperm 

 covered by a thin brown testa; a minute embryo is 

 embedded in a cavity on one side of the endosperm, 

 just beneath a circular depressed patch on the endo- 

 carp which is the weakest spot of the endocarp for 

 the exit of the radicle during germination, the cavity 

 of the endosperm is filled with a clear, watery liquid 

 called cocoa-nut milk; tal or Palmyra-palm or fan- 

 palm {Borassus flabellifer); the flowers are dioe- 

 cious; the fruit usually 3-celled, 3-seeded, the pericarp 

 consists of a thick, fibrous epicarp filled when ripe 

 with a sweet edible pulp and a thick woody endocarp 

 which forms 3 separate segments or pyrenes; the 

 structure of the seed is very much like that of the 

 Cocoa-nut, but the cavity within the hollow endo- 

 sperm is comparatively small ; khejur or Date-palm 

 (Phwnix sy/vesin's), flowers dioecious; the fruit con- 

 sists of a thin, crustaceous epicarp, a fleshy mesocarp, 

 and a thin, membranous endocarp enclosing a single, 

 hard, horny seed; the trees are tapped for sugar; 

 supari or Betel-nut palm (Areca Catechu), flowers 

 monoecious, fruits drupe, the seeds or rather stones 

 with ruminated solid endosperm, largely used as a 

 masticatory along with Betel-leaf; hintal {Phoenix palu- 

 dosa), a gregarious palm of the Sunderban ; flowers 

 dioecious, the stems are used as rafters for huts and 

 leaves used for thatching them ; bet or Cane or 

 Rattan (Caiamtis), a climbing or trailing palm, 

 flowers polygamo-dioecious, stems largely used for 

 thatching, matting, &c., and also as sticks; golpata 

 {Nipa fruticans), the leaves are used for thatching 



