134 



Silver Thatch Palm 



Fig. ioo. — Large-fruited Thatch Pahn. 



pointed segments 2.5 cm. wide 

 or less, which have a promi- 

 nent yellowish midrib and 

 thickened margins, and are 

 2-cleft at the end; their orange- 

 colored ligules are i to 2 cm. 

 long, and pointed; the leaf- 

 stalks are about as long as the 

 blades, broadened at the base 

 to s to 7 cm. wide. The pani- 

 cle of small white flowers is 

 often I meter long, its branches 

 yellowish green; the flowers 

 are distinctly stalked, the stalks 

 about 3 mm. long, slender; the 

 fruits are spherical, white, 6 



to 9 mm. in diameter, the seed brown 2Lnd shining, the basal cavity large. 



11. SILVER THATCH PALM 



GENUS COCCOTHRINAX SARGENT 

 Species Coccothiinax argentea (Loddiges) Sargent 

 Thrinax argentea Loddiges. Thrinax parviflora Garheri Chapman 

 Coccothrinax Garheri Sargent. Coccothrinax jucunda Sargent 



HE genus Coccothrinax (Greek, berry thrinax, referring to the fruit, 



which outwardly resembles a 



berry) includes several species, 



natives of southern Florida and 

 the West Indies. It is distinguished readily 

 from Thrinax by this pulpy fruit, which is 

 black when ripe, and by the seed, which has 

 several channels on its surface; the flowers 

 are very similar to those of Thrinax. 



Coccothrinax argentea, sometimes called 

 Silver-top or Bay-top palmetto, attains a 

 height of 10 meters, with a trunk 1.5 to 2 

 dm. in diameter; it is usually much smaller, 

 however, and sometimes makes hardly any 

 trunk at all, the leaves seeming to rise in a 

 tuft from the groimd. The leaves are nearly 

 orbicular, 2 to 7 dm. broad, sometimes a lit- 

 tle longer than broad, palmately cleft to be- pio. loi. — sUver Thatch Palm. 



