THE PALM FAMILY. 



G. binervia — stem slender, 

 bearing pinnatisect leaves 

 some two or three feet in 

 length ; leaflet pendent, 

 acuminate at the apex, 

 about nine inches long, 

 and deep green ; base or 

 petioles enveloped in a 

 rough network of brown 

 fibres. Central America. 



G. Carderi — stem slender ; 

 leaves pinnate ; the leaf- 

 lets plaited, the terminal 

 lobe broad and bifid, deep 

 green. Columbia. 



G. cougesta — a variable but 

 handsome plant. Stem 

 slender ; petioles sheath- 

 ing ; blade of leaf narrow 

 at the base, widening up- 

 wards, sometimes un- 

 equally lobed, at others 

 entire, saving the bifid 

 apex ; the leaves are 

 eighteen inches or two 

 feet in length, and six 

 inches wide, plaited, and 

 bright light green. Costa 

 Eica. 



G. elegans — stems very 

 slender, bearing pinnate 

 leaves about a foot long ; 

 leaflets sessile, the ter- 

 minal one broad, and bifid 

 — the remaining portion 

 consists of about two or 

 three pairs ; whole leaf 

 brilliant pink when young, 

 bright shining green when 

 mature. Brazil. 



G. gracilis— stem slender, 

 as also are the petioles ; 

 leaves beautifully arched, 

 two or three feet long ; 

 leaflets narrow, pendent, 

 very long, and deep green. 

 Much resembles, and is a 

 dangerous rival to, Cocos 

 "Weddeliana for table de- 

 coration ; the leaflets, 

 however, are longer and 

 pendent in Geonoma — 

 shorter and flat in Cocos. 

 Costa Rica. 



G. macrostachys — a very 

 dwarf plant with a slender 

 stem ; leaves upwards of a 

 foot long, usually divided 

 into about three pairs of 

 leaflets, which are broad, 

 ending in long tail-like 

 points : these, when 

 young, are rich deep red ; 

 when mature, deep green. 

 River Amazon. 



G. Martiana — this grand 

 plant is to be found in 

 some collections under 

 the name of G. Seemannii, 



but although it was first 

 introduced in a living 

 state by the late Dr. See- 

 mann, it was already a 

 named and described 

 species. It is an ex- 

 quisitely beautiful plant, 

 with a dwarf but rather 

 stout stem ; the petioles 

 are short, which bring the 

 leaves very close together ; 

 leaves entire, some two 

 feet long (on good speci- 

 mens), about two inches 

 across at the base, widen- 

 ing upwards until at the 

 deeply bifid apex it is up- 

 wards of nine inches in 

 width. The leaf is very 

 strongly plaited : in a 

 young state, bright crim- 

 son ; but when mature, a 

 very dark green. Central 

 America. 



G. Porteana — stem slender ; 

 leaves one to two feet 

 long, pinnate ; the leaflets 

 are sessile, pendent, up- 

 wards of six inches in 

 length ami two broad, the 

 terminal one deeply bifid, 

 rich deep green. River 

 Amazon. 



G. procumbens — stem stout, 

 attaining a height of about 

 fifteen feet; leaves pin- 

 nate, three to four feet 

 long, and beautifully 

 arched; leaflets pendent, 

 about twelve inches long, 

 and nearly two broad, 

 deep green. The beauti- 

 ful plume-like appearance 

 of the crown of leaves 

 renders this extremely 

 handsome. Costa Rica. 



G. pumila — as its name im- 

 plies, this is a dwarf 

 species with entire leaves, 

 which are deeply lobed at 

 the apex ; sometimes how- 

 ever the leaves become ir- 

 regulaidy pinnate ; colour, 

 bright green. New Gre- 

 nada. 



G. Schottiana — this is a very 

 elegant table plant; its 

 petioles are slender, sup- 

 porting arched pinnate 

 leaves some three feet in 

 length when mature. It 

 has much the appearance 

 of G. gracilis, but differs in 

 having shorter and more 

 erect leaflets. Brazil. 



G. undata — a robust plant, 

 with a very stout stem ; 

 petioles clasping the stem, 

 and enveloped in a rough 



network of brown fibres ; 

 leaves irregularly divided, 

 three to lour feet long, 

 with broad, much-plaited 



H. amaricaulis— stem very 

 stout, much swollen be- 

 low ; leaves pinnate, and 

 spreading, four to six feet 

 or more long; leaflets 

 numerous, broad, taper- 

 ing to a point ; the petioles 

 are stout, dull maroon, 

 with a glaucous tinge, and 

 a stripe of orange up the 

 back of the midrib. It is 

 sometimes called Areca 

 speciosa. Mascarene 

 Islands. 



H. Commersonii — this beau- 

 tiful and useful Palm is 

 usually found under the 

 name of Areca lutescens, 

 and Hyophorbe Indica ; its 

 stem is slender, often clus- 

 tered, and from twenty to 

 forty feet high ; with age 

 it forms a swollen base ; 



leaflets, the terminal one 

 deeply cleft; colour, in 

 tense deep green. Tovai\ 



the petioles are a dull 

 orange - yellow, freckled 

 with grey ; leaves long 

 and arching, pinnate ; the 

 leaflets long, somewhat 

 pendent, and bright shin- 

 ing green. It is one of 

 the finest Palms in culti- 

 vation for all decorative 

 purposes. Isle of Bourbon. 

 H. Verschaffeltii — similar 

 in general contour to the 

 preceding, but the stem 

 has somewhat of a tri- 

 angular outline ; the 

 leaves are pinnate; pe- 

 tioles dull brown, striped 

 at the back with bright 

 orange; leaflets very long 

 and broad, with a white 

 midrib. It is also called 

 Areca in some collections. 

 Mascarene Islands. 



underwood; nearly all the species have slender 

 stems, but a few are entirely destitute of them ; and 

 all are extremely beautiful, though few are useful 

 for general decorative purposes. Their slender 

 ringed stems are imported in great numbers for 

 walking- canes. The name is derived from geonomos, 

 which signifies " skill in agriculture," probably from 

 the supposed difficulty of propagating these plants. 

 But as they seed and throw up suckers freely, there 

 is little difficulty either in raising or cultivating 

 them. 



G-uilielma. — The genus contains about three 

 species, all similar in appearance, and all useful, even 

 in a young state, for decorative purposes. The 

 Peach- Palm has nowhere been found in a wild 

 state, but is cultivated largely for its fruits over 

 nearly the whole of South America. Its native 

 name in Venezuela is " Pijiguao," in Peru it is called 

 " Pisho-guayo," and in Brazil " Popunha." "The 

 wood is black and tough, and takes a fine polish, and 

 is the usual material for lance-shafts among the 

 Jibaro and Zaparo Indians." 



G. speciosa (the Peach-Palm of Humboldt). — Stems 

 slender, erect when mature, sixty to ninety feet high, 

 and densely armed with long and sharp black spines ; 

 leaves pinnate, pendent, and about seven feet long ; 

 the petioles very spiny ; leaflets clustered together in 

 threes and fours, and standing in all directions, 

 giving the whole leaf the form of a beautiful, curled, 

 bright green feather. The fruits are about the size 

 of a Peach, but oval in shape ; when ripe, rich bright 

 red and yellow. Spruce says : " The thick firm flesh 

 is mealy when cooked ; something between a Potato 

 and Chestnut in flavour, but superior to either." It 

 is found nearly all over the South American con- 

 tinent, and is cultivated largely on the river 

 Amazon. 



Hyophorbe. — A very distinct group of Palms, 

 all of which are extremely useful for decorativo 

 purposes in a young state. The flowers are pro- 

 duced on simple branched spikes, which spring from 

 the stem just below the leaves ; the male and female 

 organs are usually in separate flowers, and pro* 

 duced on separate plants. The stems of all the 

 species become much swollen as the plants become 

 aged, which renders them very distinct. 



