146 Coconut 



leaf-axis is also convex beneath, ridged above, tapering gradually into a slender 

 tip. The axillary drooping inflorescence is a much-branched panicle, shorter 

 than the leaves, its stalk and zigzag branches stiff and flattened; the flowers are 

 numerous; the lower part of the inflorescence bears one or two rings or collars 

 and is subtended by several thick stiff partly hollow narrow spathes, which are 

 very sharp-edged and brown scaly on the edges. The small calyx has 3 sharp 

 lobes; there are 3 yellowish oblong, bluntish, spreading, persistent petals, and six 

 stamens. The young fruit is globose-ovoid, blunt, about 3 mm. long, borne on 

 a stalk 3 to 4 mm. long, which is jointed at the base; the mature fruit is 2-lobed, 

 or more commonly 3-lobed, rather fleshy, scarlet, 2.5 to 3 cm. broad, and about 

 twice as broad as long. 



The wood is very soft and is used as food for hogs in the Bahama islands; 

 the terminal bud is boiled and eaten by the negroes. The most abundant growth 

 of this palm known to us is on Whale Cay, one of the Berry islands, north of New 

 Providence, where it covers hillsides and on Little San Salvador. The tree is 

 considerably planted for ornament in southern Florida and on the Bahamas. 



IX. COCONUT 



GENUS COCOS LINNiEUS 

 Species Cocos nucifera Linnaeus 



HIS, the most useful of all palms, is distributed throughout the tropical 

 regions of both the New World and the Old, growing best in sandy 

 soil along or near the seacoasts. Its original home is not known, 

 but inasmuch as the thirty or forty other species of the genus are 

 natives of tropical America, it is probably of American origin. The tree is spon- 

 taneous in all the West Indian islands and in southern Florida. 



The trunk becomes 30 meters tall under favorable conditions, with a diameter 

 up to 6 or 7 dm., usually much enlarged at the base; it is normally erect, but is 

 often seen variously bent by hurricane winds; the bright green, pinnately divided 

 leaves are from 3 to 6 meters in length, and from 0.8 to 1.5 meters broad, the nu- 

 merous linear-lanceolate segments 3.5 to 5 cm. wide, with prominent mid-veins; the 

 leaf-stalk is very stout, much shr.rter than the blade; the leaf-axis is convex on 

 the under side, ridged on the upper, the leaf-sheath very broad and clasping. The 

 panicles of flowers are borne 'imong the leaves on stout stalks, at length drooping 

 from the weight of the heavy fruit, and are from i to 2 meters long; the yellowish 

 white flowers are monoecious, the staminate ones borne toward the end of the 

 panicle are about i cm. long, the pistillate larger, and borne mostly on the basal 

 branches of the panicle; the staminate ones have 3 small acute sepals, 3 oblong 

 acute petals, 6 stamens with filiform filaments and a rudimentary ovary or none; 

 the pistillate flowers are ovoid, with 3 leathery, erect sepals, 3 leathery petals 

 shorter than the sepals, and a 3-celled ovary narrowed into a short style, the stigma 



