338 



85. PALMiE. 



Order 85. PALM-^. 



Trees or shrubs, erect or climbing, naked, prickly or spinous. 

 Leaves pinnately or palmately divided, segments linear or lanceolate, 

 folded longitudinally, with numerous parallel nerves. The segments 

 of the p^lmatifid leaves are frequently bifid, those of the pinnate 

 leaves entire or irregularly lobed. Petiole broad based, usually 

 amplexicaul or sheathing. Inflorescence terminal or axillary of simple 

 or panicled spikes, enclosed when young in usually more than one 

 spathe. Each flower usually 3-bracteate. Flowers hermaphrodite, 

 •unisexual or polygamous. Perianth of 6 segments in two series, 

 those of the fertile flower often persistent in fruit. Stamens 6, rarely 

 3 or more ; anthers versatile. Ovary of 3 carpels, free or united ; 

 stigmas 3, usually sessile, undivided ; ovules 1-2, erect in each cell. 

 Fruit a 1-3-celled drupe or berry or 3 distinct drupes or berries, often 

 1-2 aborted ; pericarp smooth, rough or retrosely scaled. Albumen 

 ruminate or even, solid or hollow, embryo small in a small cavity 

 near the surface of the albumen. 



Erect trees or shrubs. Fruit without scales. 

 Leaves pinnately divided. 



Spadix androgynous, flowering in the axil of a fallen leaf. 



Male flowers minute, solitary or 2-nate towards the tip of the branches. 

 Female large, solitary. ' 

 Stamens 3-6. Fruit 1- celled, 1- seeded, orange 

 yellow, seed 1 in. in diam ... ... ... 1. Areca. 



Male flowers small, 1 on each side of the female. 

 Stamens 20-30. Spathe solitary. Fruit brown, 

 seed 1-2 in. in diam. A small slender-stemmed palm 2. Pi]srAN(JA. 

 Spathes 2. Fruit purple. Seed 2 in. in diam. A large 



thick- stemmed palm 3. Actinoehytis. 



Spadix unisexual, androgynous in Cocos, or flowers 

 dioecious in the axils of green leaves. 

 ■ Spadix unisexual. 



Spathesmany. hltamens many. Fruit 3-celled, 



3-s ceded 4. Aeeng^A. 



Spathes 3-5, incomplete, tubular. Stamens 

 very many. Fruit 1-2-seeded, seed not 



grooved ... ... 5. Caeyota, 



Flowers dioecious. 



Spathe solitary, fctamens 6. Fruit 1-seeded, 



seed grooved... 6. Phcenix. 



Spadix androgynous. 



Spathes 2. Stamens 6, Fruit large, hollow, 



1 seeded 7. Cocos. 



Leaves fan- shaped. 



Spadix very large, terminal, paniculate. Spathes many, 



tubular. Flowers small, bisexual. Fruit 1-3, fleshy drupes 8. CoEYPHA. 



Spadices large, simply branched. Spathes numerous, 



sheathing. Flowers dioecious. Fruit a large, sub-globose 



drupe with 1-3, obcordate, pyrenes 9. BoEASSUS. 



Spadix much branched, pyramidal. Spathes many, tubular, 

 sheathing. Flowers polygamous. Fruit a small, globose 



drupe, 1-seeded 10. NawnorhoI'S. 



Climbing shrubs. Fruit with retrorse scales ... ... ... 11. Calamus. 



