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CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



majestic when mature, their straight cylindrical stems 

 towering up some thirty, forty, and even sixty feet, 

 hearing large feathery heads of pinnate leaves. All 

 are natives of South America, and are not generally 

 useful for decoration, hut are very distiuct and orna- 

 mental in the stove. 



A. rostratum — a slender- 

 stemmed species, attain- 

 ing a height of about 

 thirty feet ; the stem, aud 

 the sheathing base of the 

 petioles, are armed with 

 black spines some two 

 inches or more in length ; 

 leaves four to eight feet 

 long; leaflets upwards of 

 a foot long, the terminal 

 one broad, and divided at 

 the top, rich green on the 

 upper side;, white beneath. 

 Brazil. 



A. sclerocarpa — a gigantic 

 Palm, forming a stout, 

 erect stem, which is 

 usually swollen in the 



A. alba — when small this is 

 a slender plant, suffi- 

 ciently delicate for dinner 

 table decoration, and as 

 it increases in size, its 

 beauties also increase. 

 Mascarene Islands. 



A. Alicse — a small-growing 

 plant, with pinnatifid 

 leaves, which are very 

 deeply divided, but leave 

 a broad wing to the mid- 

 rib ; it is a very ornamen- 

 tal species. North - east 

 Australia. 



A. aurea-this plant is 

 similar in habit to A. 

 alba. Seychelle Islands. 



A. Catechu — a tall, slender 

 Palm, attaining a height 

 of twenty to tiiirty feet ; 

 its elegant pale green 

 leaves, and very long 

 leaflets, render it very or- 

 namental in the stove, 

 but it is too tender for 

 general decorative pur- 

 poses. The fruits of this 

 species are the famous 

 Betel - nut, so largely 

 chewed by the whole of 

 the Indian and Malay 

 rac°s. Cochin China and 

 Malay Islauds. 



A. Madagascariensis — a 

 dwarf plant with spread- 

 ing pinnace pale green 

 leaves ; very distinct and 

 ornamental in the stove. 

 Madagascar. 



A. monostachya — an elegant 



centre; it attains a height 

 of forty feet or more. In 

 a young state this is a 

 very handsome plant form- 

 in g a large head of feathery 

 plume-like leaves. Para, 

 where its native name is 

 "Mucaja." 

 A. vulgare— this is a noble 

 plant, and widely distri- 

 buted ; called "Tucum " in 

 Brazil, and " Chambiara" 

 in Peru ; it attains a 

 height of sixty feet, with 

 a very stout stem, beaiing 

 a large head of its feathery 

 leaves, which are deep 

 green above, silvery- white 

 below. Amazon. 



small-growing plant, with 

 a slender stein which sel- 

 dom exceeds a few feet in 

 height, and bears a 

 spreading head of pinnati- 

 sect leaves of a deep 

 green. It is useful for 

 any purposes of decora- 

 tion where small plants 

 are required. Australia. 



A. oleracea — this is the 

 common "Cabbage Palm" 

 of the West Indies ; it is 

 an elegant plant in a 

 young state, with bright 

 green pinnate leaves; very 

 useful for decorative pur- 

 poses. It attains to a 

 height of forty or more 

 feet. The young leaves 

 and heart of this species 

 are frequently scooped 

 out and cooked as a 

 vegetable, which has 

 much the flavour of the 

 Cabbage of our kitchen 

 garden. "West Indies. 



A. rubra — a bold-growing 

 plant, with spreading pin- 

 nate leaves, the leaflets 

 being very long and deep 

 green ; in the young state 

 the whole leaves are of a 

 beautiful bright red, hence 

 the name. It attains a 

 height of twenty or thirty 

 feet when mature, and is 

 one of the very best of its 

 class for general decora- 

 tive purposes. Mascarene 

 Islands. 



A. acaule— a very handsome 

 dwarf species, destitute of 

 a stem, but producing 

 large leaves, some nine or 

 ten feet high ; these are 

 pinnate, narrow, and clus- 

 tered; the whole plant is 

 armed with long and for- 

 midable flat, black spines. 

 Marshy woods on the Rio 

 Negro. 



A. Japari— the stems of this 

 species are usually clus- 

 tered, slender, attaining a 

 height of about thirty feet, 

 and profusely armed with 

 spines. It is handsome as 

 a young plant. 



A. Cohune— this is a fine 

 ornamental plant, produc- 

 ing large nuts, which 

 yield a very useful and 

 valuable oil. Its leaves 

 are pinnate and plume- 

 like, the pinnae a foot to 

 eighteen inches long, and 

 deep green. Honduras. 



A. compta — this is a beau- 

 tiful pinnate plant of some- 

 what smaller growth, than 

 A. funifera. The nuts of 

 this species are used for 

 dessert, and the leaves are 

 used in the manufacture 

 of hats. Brazil. 



A. funifera — the article so 

 largely used in the manu- 



A. Munbaca— this is a dwarf 

 kind, and therefore well 

 adapted for small houses ; 

 the stem is slender, and 

 armed with spines, and 

 is about eight feet high, 

 seldom exceeding twelve 

 feet. Bio Negro, and near 

 Para. 



A. Murumuru — a very hand- 

 some species, attaining a 

 height of about fifteen 

 feet ; the stems and base 

 of the sheathing petioles 

 being armed with large 

 black spines, some six 

 inches long and bent down- 

 wards. Andes. 



fact ure of brooms and 

 brushes, and also for 

 rope-making, and known 

 by the name of Piassaba, 

 is the produce of this 

 Palm ; it is the fibrous 

 matter from the base of 

 the leaf-stalks. The fruits 

 known as Coquilla-nuts 

 are also the produce of 

 this species, and are 

 much used by the turner 

 in the manufacture of 

 knobs for umbrellas, han- 

 dles for doors, and many 

 other uses. The leaves 

 are pinnate, beautifully 

 arched, and bright green. 

 Brazil. 



Bactris. — A genus of slender- growing Palms, all 

 of which are handsome in a young state, hut lose 

 their heauty as they get old ; their stems are reed- 

 like, and seldom exceed six or seven feet in height, 

 although there are a few species with stouter stems, 

 which grow some forty feet or more. All the 

 species are densely armed with hlack or hrown 

 spines, which usually encircle the stems in hands at 

 various intervals. The flower-spikes are enclosed 

 in a douhle sheath, which presents a rather formid- 

 able appearance with its dense armour of hlack 



Areca. — A large family of spineless plants, 

 known as the " Cabbage Palms," as the heart and 

 young leaves are frequently scooped out, and cooked 

 as a vegetable. When old, these trees are called 

 " Areec " by the natives, hence their generic name. 

 The spadix is branched, enclosed in a double spathe ; 

 the male and female organs are in separate flowers 

 (unmixed) , but both forms of flowers are borne upon 

 the same spike; fruit small, one- seeded. 



Arecas are highly decorative plants, several being 

 admirably adapted for out-door decoration during 

 the summer months. 



Attalea.— This genus derives its name from 

 attalus, "magnificent," in reference to their grand 

 appearance. When mature they reach a height of 

 some fifty to sixty feet or more, with tall, straight, 

 cylindrical stems, and an immense plume-like crown 

 of leaves ; but, although these plants reach such a 

 great height, they put on their ornamental appear- 

 ance in quite a young state, long before the forma- 

 tion of any stem, and in this state are admirably 

 adapted for the decoration of halls and corridors, 

 independent of their beautiful appearance in the 

 stove. 



Astroearyum. — This genus belongs to the 

 Cocoa-nut section ; the plants comprising it are all 

 handsome in a young state, and many of them are 



