THE PALM EAMILY. 



325 



X. sechellamm (the Double Cocoa-nut) — the only- 

 species — is probably not in cultivation. The writer 

 has had the seeds germinate at different times, but 

 was never successful in grcwing them any length of 

 time. The stem is perfectly straight, about a foot 

 in diameter, bearing a large crown of fan-shaped 

 leaves, some of which are "twenty feet long, and 

 twelve feet wide." " It is said to attain a height of 

 a hundred feet, and trees of this size are supposed 

 to be about four hundred years old." " From the age 

 of fifteen to twenty-five years it is in its greatest 

 beauty, the leaves at this period being much larger 

 than they are subseq^uently." Seychelle Islands. 



Malortiea. — A genus containing a few dwarf 

 plants, which have slender Reed-like stems, that 

 are clustered and bear their usually simple leaves 

 upon long and slender foot-stalks. They are nearly 

 allied to Chmnrndm^ea and Geonoma, and thrive under 

 the same treatment. 



M. gracilis — stem very 

 slender, ringed with the 

 scars of the fallea pe- 

 tioles ; leaves some six 

 inches loi^ and nearly as 

 hroad. The blade of the 

 leaf is partially split near 

 the rachis.whicb bas led to 

 its being named by several 

 horticiilturists, M, fenes- 

 trata, or Window Palm. 

 It is valuable for all pur- 



poses of decoration where 

 small plants are required. 

 Guateuiald.. 

 M. simplex — stem slender, 

 clustered hlce the preced- 

 ing, ahout two or threj 

 feet high ; petioles louj 

 and slender j blade of leaf 

 oblong-ovate, Taifid at thrf 

 apex, coarsely toothed at 

 tue edges. A beautiful 

 little tree. Costa Eica. 



Martiuezia. — A genus of pinnate prickly Palms 

 named in honour of B. Martinez, a zealous Spanish 

 naturalist. They are all plants of moderate growth, 

 but not sufficiently hardy to thrive without heat for 

 any length of time. Male and female organs in 

 separate flowers upon the same spike. 



Martinezias, Kke aU very prickly Palms, enjoy an 

 abundant supply of water. They very much re- 

 semble Caryota in a young state, but may be easily 

 distinguished by their simple pinnate leaves, whilst 

 Caryota is perfectly smooth, with bipinnate leaves, 

 and the only genus thus distinguished. 



M. caryotfefolia— thisisthe 

 tallest species, attaining 

 a height of about thirty 

 feet ; stems slender, and 

 with the petioles profusely 

 armed with long, slender, 

 black spines; leaves pin- 

 nate, about six feet long ; 

 leaflets wedge-shaped, ag- 

 gregated, the edges ragged 

 asif bitten off, deep green. 

 Peru. 



H. granatensis — a dwarf 

 species, the pinnate leaves 



some two or three feet in 

 length ; leaflets oblong- 

 ovate, evenly serrated on 

 the edges : i>etioles and 

 stem armed with long and 

 slenderdark brown spines. 

 Columbia. 

 M. Lindeniana — stem slen- 

 der, with long pinnate 

 leaves ; leaflets cuneate, 

 or three-sided, with prte- 

 morse edges, the terminal 

 lobe much the largest. 

 Peril. 



note any kind with a stem higher than about forty 

 feet, and he enumerates more than a dozen species. 

 They abound on the banks of the Amazon, Orinoco, 

 and Eio Negro, and' become partially submerged 

 during the periodical overflow of these rivers. 



To grow Mauritias in our plant-houses, they must 

 be plunged into a tank of tepid water. 



These plants bear very large heads of flabellate 

 leaves, and numerous much-branched flower-spikes ; 

 the flowers are unisexual, and borne on distinct 

 trees, but sometimes' they are mixed. The fruits 

 are large, and covered with hard, imbricating, deep 

 brown scales. 



M. aculeata — this species 

 grows from twenty to 

 twenty-five feet high, with 

 leaves deep green above, 

 silvery - white beneath. 

 Rio Wegro. 



M. carana — a stout stem, 

 some forty feet high, dis- 

 tinguishes t bis from most 

 of the species. It carries 

 an enormous crown of 

 flabellate leaves. Bio 

 Negro. 



M. flexuosa— this is said to 

 grow to an immense 

 iieight ; the stems are 

 about two feet in dia- 

 meter, bearing a splendid 

 head of fan-shaped leaves. 

 It is the *' Mdriche Palm " 

 of the G u ar a u a s In- 

 dians, who form dwell- 

 ings among the stems (for 

 these trees grow very 

 close together, forming 

 dense forests) ; from its 

 leaves they make ropes, 

 and thus hammocks : from 



its sap they make wine, 

 and from its stem they 

 obtain a kind of sago. As 

 a young plant, its deep 

 green fan-shaped leaves 

 are very handsome. The 

 banks of the Rio Negro, 

 Amazon, and Orinoco. 



M. Martiana—this species 

 always grows in clusters ; 

 the stems are slender, 

 fi-om twenty to twenty- 

 five feet high, and are 

 denselj? armed with long 

 sharp spines. The banks 

 of the Amazon and Bio 

 Negro. 



M. vmifera — a tall-growing- 

 species, the stems of 

 which are not furnished 

 with spines. Leaves fla- 

 bellate, deep green on 

 both surfaces, l^rom this 

 plant, which is called 

 '* Buriti " by the natives, 

 is obtained a quantity of 

 wine of a pleasant flavotir. 

 Brazil. 



Maximiliana. — A name given in honour of 

 Prince Maximilian to a noble-growing Amazonian 

 Palm. The spathe of M. regia, which contains the 

 seeds, is boat- shaped, very woody in texture, some 

 five or six feet in length, and nearly two feet wide. 

 It is used by the Indian women as cradles for the 

 infants, and as these spathes are persistent, remain- 

 ing on the trees for several years, there is always a 

 ■ cot to be had for the fetching. 



The Indiatis who collect and prepare the "bottle- 

 rubber " of commerce, use the seeds of this plant for 

 fuel in its preparation ; they also use the leaves for 

 thatching and other purposes. The flowers are uni- 

 sexual, borne on the same plant, but not always 

 upon the same spike. 



Mauritia. — A genus named in honour of Prince 

 Maurice of Nassau. The plants are said to grow to 

 100 or'even 150 feet in height, but Spruce does not 



M. Inajai is a species 

 which Spruce says is very 

 elegant, and a much 

 dwarfer plant than M. 

 regia. ** Its stems are 

 slender, and from ten to 

 twenty feet high, with a 

 beautiful crown of fea- 

 thery, light green, pin- 

 nate leaves, the boat-like 

 spathes remaining on the 

 trunk for years, and have 



a very peculiar appear- 

 ance." We have not seen 

 any plants sufficiently 

 established yet to show 

 their character. In forests 

 of the Rio Negro. 

 M. Martiana^-tbisisagiant 

 amongst Balms. The stem 

 is cylindrical, stout, and 

 upwards of 100 feet high, 

 and bearing a large crown 

 of pinnate leaves from 



