\^—0n PaJms^ 

 Cycads^ and Bamboos. 



By x\. Griessen. 



Palms. 



Palms. — "Those haughty princes of the Vegetable Kingdom," as 

 Linnaeus justly termed them^ — form one of the most useful orders, 

 not only for decorative purposes, as we understand it here, but 

 also on account of their important economic properties in their 

 native countries, furnishing the daily food of a very considerable 

 portion of the human race. The stems of many of them provide 

 excellent timber, which is very largely used for building purposes, 

 while the leaves are often employed in the making of articles of 

 every-day use. Some species furnish also a valuable wax, which 

 is very much in demand at the present time ; and others yield seeds 

 from which a useful oil is extracted. The fruits of many Palms 

 form an excellent article of food — Dates, for example, from 

 Phoenix dactylifera (Fig. 546). Palm wine, generally called 

 "toddy," is another product of the PalmcB. We must, however, 

 restrict our attention to the decorative properties of these plants, 

 which, for the embellishment of our greenhouses as well as our 

 apartments, are without rivals. 



