76 BOTANY. 
petioles. Flowers ona terminal, often branched spadix, inclosed in a one- 
or many-valved spatha. Natives of tropical regions chiefly, and imparting 
to them much of their botanical physiognomy. Most of them. have un- 
branched stems, attaining sometimes a height of 180 feet, and sending 
out clusters of large leaves, from the axils of which bunches of flowers 
proceed. Although the flowers are small, still the inflorescence, taken 
collectively, has often a most imposing aspect. Humboldt describes their 
effect on the landscape in glowing colors, and Martius has illustrated the 
order by splendid delineations. Linnzeus called them the Princes of the 
vegetable kingdom. Lindley states that there are seventy-three known 
genera, and four hundred species; but this estimate probably falls short of 
the total amount, for much still remains to be done in the elucidation of the 
species. They have been divided by Martius into various tribes, depending 
chiefly on the nature of the ovary, ovules, and fruit; and sections are formed 
according as the leaves are pinnate or flabelliform, and the stems are spiny 
or not. 
The species of this order are eminent not only for their beauty but for 
their utility. Distributed over the tropical portions of the entire globe, they 
in many cases form the entire dependence of whole tribes. Every portion 
of these plants is applied to some important end; water-pipes are made of 
the hollow trunks, while those that are more solid furnish an excellent 
building material of great strength. Canes, umbrella and fan handles, and 
numerous other articles, are made of palm-wood. The density of palm- 
wood varies greatly, the lightest. being that of the Date Palm (0.3963), and 
the heaviest that of Astrocaryum murumuru (1.1380). The progress of age 
causes the deposit of large quantities of starch in the form of fine powder in 
the trunks of some palms. This, the sago of commerce, is obtained chiefly 
from the species of Metroxylon, as also of Caryota, Borassus, Arenga, 
Phoenix, &c. The juice of many Palms contains a large quantity of sugar 
(Jagery) which may be collected for economical purposes, or else used in the 
manufacture of various arracks and other intoxicating liquors. A substance 
called Toddy is obtained from the spathes of Cocos nucifera, of medicinal 
value in tropical constipation. 
The leaves of the large palms are used in covering houses, the petioles for 
various purposes. The fruit of various species is an important article of 
alimentation; the date is derived from Phoenix dactylifera; the common 
cocoa-nut from Cocos nucifera; the double cocoa-nut from Lodoicea seychel- 
larum. The fruit of certain species furnishes palm oil, that from Elais 
guineensis being distinguished from the rest by the presence of palmic acid. 
Medicinal substances are, catechu from the betel nut or fruit of Areca 
catechu (to be distinguished from the true catechu, which is derived from a 
species of Mimosa); dragon’s blood from Calamus draco; bdellium from 
Hypheene thebaica. Wax also is furnished by several species, occurring in 
the form of a thin coating on the leaves or trunk. The principal wax 
producing palm is Copernica cerifera, a Brazilian species yielding the car- 
nauba wax. Others are Ceroxylon andicola, Ceratolobus glaucescens, &c. 
Finally, the fibres of some species yield valuable textile materials, and 
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