294 OENAMENTAl FOLIAGE PLANTS. 



from three to four feet long-, broad at the base, tapering up 

 to the point, recurved and armed at the edges with opposite, 

 somewhat distant, recurved spines, and clothed on the upper 

 side with a grey tomentum, and silvery white below. 

 Ifative of Chili. 



Baphia. 



A genus of scaly-fruited pinnate -leaved Palms, which 

 form handsome plants in their natural habitats, but which 

 are extremely diflScuIt to cultivate, as they require to have 

 their roots always in water. Pot in a mixture of two 

 parts peat, one part loam, and one part leaf mould and 

 sand. They are increased by seeds, which require strong- 

 bottom heat to induce them to germinate. 



R. Hookerii. — This plant is very rare in cultivation, and 

 exists in our collections in a young state only. The leaves 

 are pinnate, and of a dark green colour ; the petioles are 

 clothed with coarse dark brown fibres ; and the whole 

 plant is destitute of spines. Native of "Western Tropical 

 Africa. 



Sj. Ruffia. — Leaves from two to six or more feet in 

 length, pinnate ; pinnee about twelve inches long, and of a 

 bright dark green ; the petioles are unarmed, dark green, 

 except at the base, where they are brown, and fringed at 

 the edges with coarse fibres. Native of Madagascar and 

 various African Islands, 



B. Ic^digera. — A superb- plant, the stem of which rarely 

 exceeds eight or ten feet in height, whilst its pinnate 

 leaves often reach the extraordinary dimensions of forty 

 and fifty feet in length, presenting a magnificent plume- 

 like crown. It is a very handsome plant in a young state, 

 but is rare in cultivation. Native of Tropical America. 



