450 The Palms of British East India. 



Sect. IIL— (Euoplus.) Spathce 2, complete. Spadices 

 racemosim divisi, ramis 00, fastigiatis, caudaeformibus, pen- 

 dulis. Flores ; ssepius 1 faemineus inter duos masculos. Fruc- 

 tus sub-baccatus, obliquus, coerulescens. 



Arborece vel arbor escentes, soboliferae, armatae. Folia pin- 

 nata. 



Oncosperma. Blume. Endl. Gen. p. 1371, No 1727/3. ? 



Genus imperfecte cognitum, verisimiliter in posterum in 

 plura dividendum.* 



Seaforthia, Br.f difFert habitu Caryotideo et floribus faemi- 

 neis inter duos hermaphrodito-masculos ; horumque stylo 

 longo. 



Sect. I.— PINANGA. 



70. (1) A. Catechu, arborea, foliis pinnatis et pinnatim fissis, 

 pinnis lineari-ensiformibus vel linearibus oblique acuminatis, 

 spathis 2, fl. masculis solitariis distichis, petalis oblongis 

 acutis, staminibus 6, fl. faemineis solitariis ad vel versus basin 

 ramulorum, drupa ovata mammillata magnitudine ovi gal- 

 linulae. 



Areca Catechu, Willd. Sp. PL 4. p. 524. Roxb. Cor. PI. 

 1. No. 74. Fl. Indica. S. p. 615. Icones 14. t. 75. (incompl.) 



* The above disposition appears to be pointed out by the Indian species, of 

 which alone I have any knowledge. I have no means of ascertaining the opinions 

 of Botanists on the limits of the genus. The volume of Kunth's Synopsis, in which 

 I understand Palmae are to be found, has not yet found its way to this part of 

 India. The Botanic Garden copy of Martius's Palmae contains only a few figures 

 without any accompanying letter-press. The copy of Blume's Rumphia likewise 

 contains only two plates of Ptychostoma (Seaforthia, R. Br.). Martius {in litt.) 

 seems indisposed to adopt Blume's divisions. As the habit however is distinct, 

 it is probable that accurate examination of ample materials may lead to several 

 sufficiently sound generic distinctions. 



Blume's adoption of Pinanga for a section not including the genuine Pinangae 

 does not appear tome judicious. His Oncosperma is perhaps Areca tigillaria, 

 Jack. 



f Pr. Fl. Nov. Holl. ed. 2da. p. 123. 



