l.5(» HORTICULTURAL Toijit* 



the stem up to the lower leaves, measuring thirteen feel 

 and a half. In the palm-tribe, it is well known, the stem 

 is formed merely by the remains of the petioles of succes- 

 sive circular crowns of leaves j and that these remains form 

 scars, which continue for many years, but which gradually 

 wear off. In this ancient specimen, about four feet and a 

 half of the lower part of the stem are now nearly smooth* 

 At this smooth part, the stem is only a foot and a half in 

 circumference ; while, immediately below the leaves, where 

 the remains of the petioles are recent, the circumference of 

 the stem is three feet, oi* exactly double. The plailt is now 

 more than £20 years old ; for Clusius undertook the direc^ 

 tion of the Leyden Garden in 1592, and continued to ma^ 

 nage it till his death in 1609 *. It had long continued in 

 a wooden box ; but for many years past, it has stood in the 

 natural soil, or the box has been buried in the soil, and 

 gone to decay. We cannot leave this classical plant, with- 

 out expressing our regret that the house should not be bet- 

 ter adapted to its precious inhabitant ; in particular, that 

 the light should not be more freely admitted, or have ac- 

 cess equally on every side. — We have to add, that the Ley-^ 

 den garden is very rich in this kind of palm \ for we were 

 immediately conducted to see another specimen, which is 

 nearly fifteen feet high. This was rendered more interest- 

 ing, by having produced its spadix of flowers last year 



from their confinement in the wooden tub had greatly conduced to the 

 growth of the specimen. 



Plate V. contains a representation of Clusius *B palm, as it appeared in 



1H17, the drawing having been made by Mr Greville from rough sketches 



which we took on the spot. The small palm in the tub close by, is a faC 



mule of ihe figure in Bocrhaavc's Index Plantarum, 1710. 



• This office, it may !>e remarked, was in those days considered as on a 



par with that of our modem professorships of botany ; for Clusius was one 



i mo,! < iriiin ni phytologistf of the age, and a distinguished author. 



