ON PALMS, CYCADS, AND BAMBOOS. 



819 



Propagation may be effected by suckers, but seeds are to be 

 preferred. Caryotas also possess some economic value, yielding 

 a kind of "toddy," which is very rich in sugar. C. Cumi'ngn is a 

 valuable species on account of its moderate size, rarely exceeding 

 I oft., and producing a slender stem; the leaves are deep green 

 and rather spreading, varying from 4ft. to 6ft. in length, and 3ft. 

 in breadth. The pinnules are sub-falcate, obliquely cuneate, and 

 of a rich green on both sides. This plant is extremely pretty 

 when it is bearing its red berries. C. ficrfiiracea is a species 

 possessing a great similarity to C. tirens, but of a more compact 

 habit, producing bipinnate leaves, with pinnae varying in size as 

 well as in shape, and the petioles are covered with a rusty 

 tomentum ; it is a very decorative sort, and is regarded by 

 botanists as synonymous with C. initis. C. soboUfera has, since 

 the issue of the last edition of the " Hand-List of Tender Mono- 

 cotyledons Cultivated at Kew," also been regarded as a synonym 

 of C. mitis. It has a very elegant habit, resembling, in the form 

 of the leaves, C. urens ; these are bipinnate (Fig. 549), and the 

 pinnae are of a light green colour. The petioles are, in their 

 early state, covered with a short black scaly tomentum. 

 C. Riimphiana is a very distinct and elegant species, producing a 

 rather stout stem, with bipinnate and spreading leaves varying 

 from 3in. to Sin. in length. The pinnules are sessile, are 

 inclined to be coriaceous, vary in length from 3in. to 6in., 

 and are of a deep green colour. C. urens is supposed to be the 

 largest-growing species of the genus. It is extremely decorative, 

 producing a somewhat stout stem which furnishes a valuable 

 sago ; it also yields a great quantity of palm wine. The leaves 

 are bipinnate and spreading, reaching sometimes as much as 

 12ft. The pinnules are obhquely cuneate and sub-coriaceous, 

 varying from 6in. to loin. in length and 4in. in breadth ; they 

 are dark green and shiny. 



Ceratolobus. — A genus very closely allied to Calamus^ and 

 composed of only a few slender-growing species, which are very 

 elegant. They are all stove-loving plants, and require similar 

 treatment to Calamus. Amongst the three species known in 

 cultivation, C. glaucescens is the best. This is a pretty Palm 

 which is often used for table decoration. It somewhat resembles 

 a Calamus in habit, producing pinnate leaves which vary from 

 ift. to 2ft. in length, with cuneate pinnae, which lengthen out 

 into a tail with a point, are of a deep green on the upper 

 surface, and grey below ; the petioles are armed with spines, and 

 are somewhat sheathing. 



Ceroxylon. — A small genus, only represented in cultivation 

 by one typical species, C. andicola, the others being classed 

 under Juania and Diplothemiiuii. It is a greenhouse Palm, 

 which could be utilised with great success for sub-tropical 



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