840 



THE BOOK OF GARDENING. 



especially in its young state ; it has a smooth stem, with pinnate 

 leaves and long, narrow, somewhat drooping segments. O. oleracea 

 is another elegant species, also known by its production of a 

 kind of sago obtained from its stem, which is slender, rather 

 swollen at the base, and freckled with blackish-brown ; the leaves, 

 which are pinnate, vary from 4ft. to 6ft. long, and are beautifully 

 arched; the segments are bright green, and ift. to 2ft. in length. 

 O. regia is a beautiful slender-growing species, with pinnate leaves 

 varying from 3ft. to 6ft. in length ; the pinnse are of a shiny 

 green colour, 6in. to i2in. long, and about lin. in breadth. 

 O. Sancona is a valuable plant for indoor decoration (Fig. 560), 

 and it may be used as a substitute for Cocos and others ; it also 

 seems to be an easily-grown species, and is very distinct when 

 young by reason of its reddish leaf-stalks. 



Phcenix. — A genus well represented in cultivation. Its species 

 are very valuable, not only for their useful decorative properties, 

 but also for the economic value of some of them. They are 

 chiefly greenhouse plants, only a few requiring stove treatment. 

 They are extremely useful for sub-tropical gardening and for 

 all decorative purposes. The stems, or trunks, vary a great deal, 



Fig. 561. — Phcenix canartensis. 



being sometimes rather erect while other species appear to be 

 nearly stemless. When erect the stems are marked with the 

 scars of the old leaves. The leaves are terminal and spreading, 

 with elongate-lanceolate segments. The flowers are found on 

 long spikes, which rise from amongst the leaves. The fruits 

 are fleshy and one-seeded, those of P. dactylifera (Dates) being 

 very familiar to us. Phoenix can easily be propagated by 



