NATURAL ORDERS. 141 



cocoa nut, being, according to his description, at the base, 

 as in that genus, Avhereas they are actually at the apex. 

 It is probable that Alfonsia oleifera of Humboldt Bon- 

 pland and Kimth, belongs to Elseis, and possibly it may 

 not even differ from the African species. 



It is a remarkable fact respecting the geographical dis- 

 tribution of Palmse, that Elceis (/uineensis, which is uni- 

 versally, and I believe justly, considered as having been 

 imported into the West India colonies from the west coast 

 of Africa, and Cocos indica, which there is no reason to 

 doubt is indigenous to the shores of equinoctial Asia and 

 its islands, should be the only two species of an extensive 

 and very natural section of the order, that are not confined 

 to America. 



To this section, whose principal character consists in the 

 originally trilocular putamen having its cells when fertile 

 perforated opposite to the seat of the embryo, and when 

 abortive indicated by foramina cseca, as in the Cocoa nut, 

 the name Cocoinse may be given; though it has been ap- 

 plied by M. Kunthi to a more extensive and less natural 

 group, which includes all palms having trilocular ovaria, 

 and the surface of whose fruit is not covered with imbricate 

 scales. I may also remark that from the fruits of Cocoinm 

 only, as I have here proposed to limit the section, the oil 

 afforded by plants of this family, is obtained. 



Professor Smith in his journal frequently mentions a 

 species of Hyphcene, by which he evidently intended the 

 palm first seen abundantly at the mouth of the river, and 

 afterwards occasionally in the greater part of its course, 

 especially near the Banzas, where it is probably planted 

 for the sake of the wine obtained from it. 



According to the gardener's information, this is a palm [.m 

 of moderate height with fan-shaped fronds and an undi- 

 vided caudex. It therefore more probably belongs to 

 Corypha than to Gsertner's Hyphsene, one species of which 

 is the Cucifera of Delile, the Doom of Upper Egypt ; the 

 second, Hyplicene coriacea, is a native of Mehnda, and 



J Norn Gen. et 8p. Orb. Nov. ^.p. 2J,1. 



