ON PALMS, CYCADS, AND BAMBOOS. 849 



pinnatifid leaves 15ft. to 24ft. long; the numerous leaflets are 

 linear and glaucous below. S. unguis, the most beautiful plant 

 of the whole genus, appears in its early age to be without stem ; 

 its erect leaves are 2 ft. to 6ft. long, and the broad pinnae often 

 reach the base of the petiole, which is sheathing and partly 

 covered along the edges with brown fibres ; the leaves and 

 petioles are of a splendid deep green. A useful species for 

 various decorative purposes. 



Thrinax. — Another genus composed of stove plants, some of 

 which may be employed for greenhouse decoration during the 

 summer months. Thrinax are of dwarf habit and unarmed, and 

 have fan-shaped leaves with induplicate and bifid segments ; the 

 petioles are slender and biconvex. Many of the species are 

 extremely ornamental, and are worthy of wider cultivation. In 

 their young state they require a light compost of equal parts 

 peat, loam, and sand ; but for strong, established specimens 

 sandy loam is preferable. Propagation by fresh imported seeds. 

 T. argentea is a distinct species, producing a stem 12ft. to 15ft. 

 high ; the leaves, which are shorter than the petioles, are of a 

 silvery silky colour below ; the divisions are combined at the 

 base. T. barbadensis is a very decorative species, producing 

 some enormous glabrous leaves, with lanceolate, acuminate 

 segments ; the petioles are clothed with white scales like felt, 

 and all along the edges with black, hooked spines ; it often 

 reaches 20ft. in height. T. excelsa is a rather tall-growing 

 species, producing leaves 4ft. to 5 ft. long, pale green on the upper 

 surface and glaucous below ; the divisions are about 2ft. in 

 length, and partly united ; the stem is often from 7ft. to 10ft. 

 in height. T. multiflora (7. graminifolid) deserves to be grown 

 in every collection ; it attains a good size with age. The stem 

 is slender, and, as well as the petioles (which are 4ft. to 6ft. 

 long), is partly covered at the base with a woody, fibrous matter ; 

 the leaves are somewhat flabellate, with united segments. 

 Extremely decorative in its young state as well as when full 

 grown. T. parviflora is the most attractive amongst the dwarf 

 species, producing sometimes with age a stem varying from 8ft. 

 to 10ft. high; the slender petioles vary from i8in. to 24m. in 

 length, and are thinly covered at the base with a kind of 

 fibre; the leaves are palmate and glabrate, green below. 

 T. pumilio is another species of rather dwarf habit, producing a 

 very short stem, with erect and slender petioles supporting some 

 large palmate leaves, bright green on both sides, and divided for 

 about half their length into very narrow segments. T. radiata 

 (T. elegans ; T. gracilis) is a slender species, quite distinct in 

 appearance, producing a stem somewhat swollen at the base, with 

 quite smooth petioles, which are partly covered at the base with a 

 kind of fibrous matter; the leaves are palmate, green, and glabrous 

 below, and partly divided into graceful pendent segments ; this 



3 1 



