ONCOSPEEMA. 267 



the arrangement and construction of their flowers. The 

 species of (Enocarpus have, when mature, straight and 

 lofty stems, with long, very much plaited, pinnate leaves, 

 and they have a peculiarly stiff flower spike, which springs 

 from beneath the leaves, and is encased in double woody 

 spathes, the inner one in the immature state entirely 

 covering it, but which eventually falls away. The flowers 

 are unisexual, but both sexes are produced on the same 

 spike. The fruits are oval, usually purplish black, and 

 one-seeded. They should be grown in peat and loam in 

 equal parts, and require stove temperature. 



(E. Bataua. — This is an elegant Palm, having a naked 

 stem, and pinnate dark green leaves, about fifteen inches 

 in length, which, however, are not , produced in great 

 abundance, thus giving the crown of leaves a somewhat 

 thin appearance. It is a native of South America, 



(E. minor, — Stem attaining a height of about twenty 

 feet. The leaves are pinnate, from six to eight feet in 

 length, and handsomely arched ; pinnte dark green on the 

 upper side, clothed on the under with a short white to- 

 mentum. It is a pretty plant for the stove. Native of 

 woods on the Rio Negro, South America. 



Oncospekma. 



The plants comprising this genus are nearly allied to 

 AcanihopJioenix, and through this to Areca ; they possess 

 several distinctions, however, of a botanical character, and 

 in addition make offshoots, thus forming tufts or dense 

 masses of shoots from the base, this habit itself proving 

 its distinctiveness from Acanihophmnix, which rises erect 

 upon a single stem, Oncosperma includes some very 

 elegant plants, which are admirably adapted for the deco- 

 ration of the stove and for public exhibition, and when 



