CHAMMIOPS. 155 



the base of the petioles being enclosed amongst layera 

 of coarse fibrous matter. The flower spikes are produced 

 from amongst the leaves, and the flowers are sometimes 

 perfect, and sometimes have the sexes separate ; both' 

 calyx and corolla are three-parted. The fruit is a berry, 

 and one-seeded. These very ornamental and easily grown 

 plants should be potted in rich strong loam, with a small 

 portion of vegetable mould and sand added. The pota 

 should be drained well, and water should be liberally 

 supplied to them during summer. They are multiplied 

 by taking off the suckers, which sometimes rise up in 

 abundance, and also from seeds. 



G. excelsa. — Stem reaching a height of twenty or thirty, 

 feet. Leaves fan-shaped ; petioles three to six feet long 

 enclosed at the base in a dense mass of rough fibres, and.' 

 armed at the edges with small teeth-like spines. The 

 fan-shaped leaves are split deeply down into segments, 

 which stand erect, and are of a dark green colour. Native 

 of the East Indies. 



G. Fortimei. — This species, although almost hardy, must 

 not be omitted in this work, because it is a most service- 

 able kind for the greenhouse, and invaluable for window 

 and hall decoration throughout the winter months. It is 

 often confounded with (7. excelsa, from which species it is, 

 however, abundantly distinct, in being of stouter habit, in 

 having a more profuse matted network of fibres amongst 

 the bases of the leaves and crown, and in the footstalks 

 being stouter and shorter and the segments of the fan-like 

 leaves much broader. G. Foriunei attains to some twelve 

 or more feet in height, and produces a stout stem, which 

 supports a handsome spreading head of fan-like leaves^ 

 which are slit into segments about half-way down ; the 

 petioles which support them are from one to two feet 



