The Palms of British East India. 459 



ramis 4-8, floribus distichis, masc. sepalis canaliculato-subu- 

 latis longitudine petalorum acuminatorum, staminibus 20-30, 

 fsem. staminibus sterilibus 6 apice penicillatis, stigmate capi- 

 tato trilobo, fructibus distichis oblongis. 



A. Dicksoni, Roxb. FL ind. 3. p. 616. Icones. 14. t. 76. 

 Seaforthia Dicksoni. Mart. Palm. p. 184. 



Habt. — Mountains of Malabar. Dr. Dickson, Wight ; in 

 flower and ripe fruit in August. 



Descr.— " It grows to the height of about sixteen or eighteen feet, 

 with a very straight, simple trunk, of about two inches in diameter. 



Leaves pinnate, about four feet long, with extremities bifurcate, like 

 the tail of a swallow. Leaflets sessile, linear, ribbed, with numerous 

 parallel veins, apices praemorse, dentate ; from twelve to twenty-four 

 inches long. Spathe simple. Spadix compound, retrofracted ; rami- 

 fications from four to eight, alternate, simple, equal, distichous ; from 

 six to eight inches long. Flowers numerous, approximate, alternate in 

 two exactly opposite rows, a single female in the centre, with a single 

 male on each side. Male flowers. Calyx three-cleft, divisions subulate, 

 nearly as long as the corol. Corol, petals three, cordate, with slender 

 tapering apices. Filaments very short. Anthers from twenty to thirty, 

 linear. Female flowers. Calyx of three reniform leaflets. Corol like the 

 calyx. Nectary, six clavate, hairy-headed scales. Germ superior. 

 Style short. Stigma three-lobed. Berry oblong, dry and fibrous, about 

 an inch long, by half an inch in diameter. Seed of the shape of the 

 berry, ruminated. Embryo lodged in the base." (Roxb, I. c.) 



" Mr. Dickson, the Surgeon at Bedanore, who first brought 

 the plant under my observation, observes that the nut is 

 used by the poorer people, as a substitute for the common 

 Areca, but no other part of the tree is turned to any useful 

 purpose." (Roxb.) 



78. (9) A. gracilis, fruticosa, foliis pinnatim fissis, pinnis 

 sub-pedalibus falcatis oblique acuminatissimis, spadice sim- 

 plici vel 2-3 ramoso undique florigero, spatha 1, n\ masc. 



