622 PALM^ — COMMBLYNACE^. 



stems of these Palms, it is then granulated so as to form sago. A 

 single tree, it is said, will yield 500 to. 600 pounds. The last-men- 

 tioned Palm also furnishes a large supply of sugar. Sago, as well as 

 sugar and a kind of Palm-wine, are procured from Caryota mens. The 

 date-sugar of Bengal is the produce of Phoenix sylvestris. Geroxylon 

 Andicola yields wax, which forms a coating over its trunk. Oopernicia 

 cerifera, Carnahuba Palm, is another wax palm. Its trunks are im- 

 ported into Britain, and have been used for veneering. It is much 

 used in the northern parts of BrazU, as at Aracaty, for thatch, hats, 

 packsaddles, stakes, and palisades. The wax is procured by shaking 

 the leaves, which have a glaucous bloom. Each leaf wUl yield fifty 

 grains. Acrocomia aculeata is called Prickly-pole on account of the 

 large black prickles on its stem. A reddish resinous matter is yielded 

 by Calamus Draco (^Dcemonorops Draco'), one of the Rattan Palms, which 

 have flexible climbing stems. It grows in Sumatra and Borneo. 

 The resin is one of the substances called Dragon's-blood (the 

 xind^a^ig of Dioscorides), and is used for colouring. The whalebone- 

 like bristles which surround the base of the leaves of some species of 

 Sagus and Saguerus are used for brushes. The thinner stems of 

 Palms, as of Calamus Scipionum and Rotang, are used as canes, under 

 the name of Rattans. Calamus Rudenium,, the Cable Cane, a native 

 of the East Indies, Oochin-Ohina, and the Moluccas, grows sometimes 

 to the length of 500 feet. Sahal vmbraculifera is the Fan-Palm or 

 Bull-Palm of the West Indies. The fruit of Attalea funifera is known 

 by the name of CoquUla-nuts, and its hard pericarp is used for making 

 umbrella-handles, etc. Leopoldinia Piassaha supplies a fibre used in 

 manufacture under the name of Piassaba. The hard albumen of 

 Phytelephas macrocarpa is used in the same way as ivory. Hence the 

 plant is called the Ivory Palm. The spatha of Manicaria saccifera 

 comes off in the form of a conical cap, and is used as a covering for 

 the head in the West Indies. Chamcerops kumilis is the only Euro- 

 pean species of Palm. It is able to stand the climate of this country 

 with slight protection during winter. A specimen in the Edinburgh 

 Botanic Garden has lived in the open air for about 50 years. It is 

 covered with matting during winter. The Doom-palm of Egypt 

 (Hyphxne thebaica) has a trunk which divides in a dichotomous 

 manner. Its pericarp is used as food, and has the taste of ginger- 

 bread. Acrocomia sclerocarpa is the Macahuba-palm of Brazil. 

 Mauritia vinifera is the Buriti-palm, the stem of which, when perfor- 

 ated, yields a reddish juice, having the taste of sweet wine. Areca 

 sapida is a Palm of New Zealand, and is the most southern repre- 

 sentative of the family, extending to 38° 22" S. lat. 



Order 206. — Commelynace^, the Spider-wort Family. {Mono- 

 Hypogyn.) Perianth in 2 verticils; outer (calyx) herbaceous and 

 tripartite ; inner (corolla) petaloid, tripartite or trifid. Stamens 6 or 



