■268 ORNAMENTAL FOLIAGE PLANTS. 



Tised as ornaments for the dinner-table are exceedingly 

 beautifiil, but ttey are not sufficiently hardy to thrive well 

 ■out of the atmosphere of the warm stove. They are found 

 in the islands of the Indian Archipelago, and under culti- 

 vation luxuriate in a copious supply of water, and may even 

 be stood in a tank of water with considerable advantage. 

 These plants should be potted in two parts peat, one part 

 loam, and one part river or silver sand. They may be 

 increased by seeds or by suckers. 



0. fasciculdta. — An exceedingly beautiful plant for stove 

 ■decoration. The leaves are pinnate, and dark green, 

 pinuEe long and somewhat pendent ; the petioles are 

 sheathing, and clothed with slender black spines. Native 

 of Java, &c. 



0. Van Houtteana. — This is a very elegant species, 

 sometimes to be found in collections under the names of 

 Areca ndbilis and A. rubra vera, from which genus, how- 

 •ever, it can readily be distinguished by its spiny petioles, 

 ;all true Arecas being totally unarmed. The petioles of 

 this plant are deep brick red, and profusely clothed with 

 long black spines. The leaves are pinnate, gracefiilly 

 arched, and the pendent pinna; are of a rich full green on 

 both surfaces. Native of Java, &o. 



Oeeodoxa. 



A noble genus of Palms, remarkable on account of their 

 much swollen stems. It includes some very graceful 

 plants, some of which are upwards of one hundred feet 

 in height. The leaves are long, pinnate, the petioles 

 ■broadly clasping the stem ; the flower spikes are enclosed 

 in double spathes, which are woody in texture, and the 

 ilowers unisexual, clothed with little bracts at their base. 

 ■O. oleracea is the species called in the West Indies the 



