THE PALM FAMILY. 



325 



L. Sechellarum (the Double Cocoa-nut) — the only note any kind with a stem higher than about forty 



species — is probably not in cultivation. The writer feet, and he enumerates more than a dozen species, 



has had the seeds germinate at different times, but They abound on the banks of the Amazon, Orinoco, 



was never successful in growing them any length of and Eio Negro, and become partially submerged 



time. The stem is perfectly straight, about a foot during the periodical overflow of these rivers, 



in diameter, bearing a large crown of fan-shaped To grow Mauritius in our plant-houses, they must 



leaves, some of which are " twenty feet long, and be plunged into a tank of tepid water, 



twelve feet wide." " It is said to attain a height of These plants bear very large heads of flabellate 



a hundred feet, and' trees of this size are supposed leaves, and numerous much-branched flower-spikes ; 



to be about four hundred years old." "From the age the flowers are unisexual, and borne on distinct 



of fifteen to twenty-five years it is in its greatest trees, but sometimes they are mixed. The fruits 



beauty, the leaves at this period being much larger are large, and covered with hard, imbricating, deep 



than they are subsequently." Seychelle Islands. brown scales. 



Malortiea. — A genus containing a few dwarf 

 plants, which have slender Reed-like stems, that 

 are clustered, and bear their usually simple leaves 

 upon long and slender foot-stalks. They are nearly 

 allied to Chamccdorea and Geonoma, and thrive under 

 the same treatment. 



M. gracilis — stem very 

 slender, ringed with the 

 sears of the fallen pe- 

 tioles ; leaves some six 

 inches long and nearly as 

 broad: The blade of the 

 leaf is partially split near 

 the racliis, which nas led to 

 its being named by several 

 horticulturists, M. fenes- 

 trata, or Window Palm. 

 It is valuable for all pur- 



M. Caryotsefolia — this is the 

 tallest species, attaining 

 a height of about thirty 

 feet; stems slender, and 

 with the petioles profusely 

 armed with long, slender, 

 black spines; leaves pin- 

 nate, about sis feet long ; 

 leaflets weclg^-shaped, ag- 

 gregated, the edges ragged 

 as if bitten off, deep green. 

 Peru. 



M. Granatensis — a dwarf 

 species, the pinnate leaves 



poses of decoration where 

 small plants are required. 

 Guatemala. 

 M. simplex— stem slender, 

 clustered like the preced- 

 ing, about two or three 

 feet high ; petioles long 

 and slender ; blade of leaf 

 oblong-ovate, bifid at the 

 apex, coarsely toothed at 

 tue edgiS. A beautiful 

 little tree. Costa Rica. 



some two or three feet in 

 length ; leaflets oblong- 

 ovate, evenly serrated on 

 the edges ; petioles and 

 stem armed with long and 

 slender Hark brown spines. 

 Columbia. 

 M. Lindeniana — stem slen- 

 der, with long pinnate 

 leaves; leaflets cuneate, 

 or three-sided, with pree- 

 morse edges, the terminal 

 lobe mucb. the largest. 

 Peru. 



M. aculeata — this species 

 grows from twenty to 

 twenty-five feet high, with 

 leaves deep green above, 

 silvery - white beneath. 

 Eio .Negro. 



M. carana — a stout stem, 

 some forty feet high, dis- 

 tinguishes this from most 

 of the species. It carries 

 an enormous crown of 

 flabellate leaves. Eio 

 .Negro. 



M. flexuosa— this is said to 

 grow to au immense 

 ii eight; the stems are 

 about two feet in dia- 

 meter, bearing a splendid 

 head of fan-shaped leaves. 

 It is the " Moriche Palm " 

 of the Guaranas In- 

 dians, who form dwell- 

 ings among the stems (for 

 these trees grow very 

 close together, forming 

 dense forests) ; from its 

 leaves they make ropes, 

 and thus hammocks ; from 



M. Inajai is a species 

 which Spruce fays is very 

 elegant, and a much 

 dwarfer plant than M. 

 regia. " Its stems are 

 slender, and from ten to 

 twenty feet high, with a 

 beautiful crown of fea- 

 thery, light green, pin- 

 nate ]eives, the boat-like 

 spathes remaining on the 

 trunk for years, and have 



its sap they make wine, 

 and from its stem they 

 obtain a kind of sago. As 

 a young plant, its deep 

 green fan-shaped leaves 

 are very handsome. The 

 banks of the Eio Negro, 

 Amazon, and Orinoco. 

 M. Martiana — this species 

 always grows in clusters ; 

 the stems are slender, 

 from twenty to twenty- 

 five feet high, and are 

 densely armed with long 

 sharp spines. The banks 

 of the Amazon and Eio 

 Megro. 



M. vmifera — a tall-growing 

 species, the stems of 

 which are not furnished 

 with spines. Leaves fla- 

 bellate, deep green on 

 both surfaces. Prom this 

 plant, which is called 

 " JBuriti " by the natives, 

 is obtained a quantity of 

 wine of a pleasant flavour. 

 Brazil. 



a very peculiar appear- 

 ance." We have not seen 

 any plants sufficiently 

 estahlished yet to show 

 their character. In forests 

 of the Eio Negro. 

 M. regia — this is a giant 

 amonsrst Palms. The stem 

 is cylindrical, stout, and 

 upwards of 100 feet high, 

 and bearing a large crown 

 of pinnate leaves from 



Mauritia. — A genus named in honour of Prince 

 Maurice of Nassau. The plants are said to grow to 

 100 or even 150 feet in height, but Spruce does not 



Martinezia. — A genus of pinnate prickly Palms 

 named in honour of B. Martinez, a zealous Spanish 

 naturalist. They are all plants of moderate growth, 

 but not sufficiently hardy to thrive without heat for 

 any length of time. Male and female organs in 

 separate flowers upon the same spike. 



Martinczias, like all very prickly Palms, enjoy an 

 abundant supply of water. They very much re- 

 semble Caryota in a young state, but may be easily 

 distinguished by their simple pinnate leaves, whilst 

 Caryota is perfectly smooth, with bipinnate leaves, 

 and the only genus thus distinguished. 



Maximiliana. — A name given in honour of 

 Prince Maximilian to a noble-growing Amazonian 

 Palm. The spathe of M. regia, which contains the 

 seeds, is boat- shaped, very woody in texture, some 

 five or six feet in ]ength, and nearly two feet wide. 

 It is used by the Indian women as cradles for the 

 infants, and as these spathes are persistent, remain- 

 ing on the trees for several years, there is always a 

 cot to be had for the fetching. 



The Indians who collect and prej>are the "bottle- 

 rubber" of commerce, use the seeds of this plant for 

 fuel in its preparation ; they also use the leaves for 

 thatching and other purposes. The flowers are uni- 

 sexual, borne on the same plant, but not always 

 upon the same spike. 



