32S 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



stems, all from the Western Hemisphere, and almost 

 rivalling their Eastern relatives, the Goryphas. 

 These plants are very hardy, and are extremely 

 useful for any purpose where hold foliage is desired. 



S. Blackburniana — a rnag- 

 niticent species, with 

 stout, erect stern, thirty 

 feet or more high, hear- 

 ing an immense crown 

 of very large, almost cir- 

 cular leaves. W. Indies. 



T. umbraculifera — this 



plant resembles the last- 

 named in all respects 

 saving colour. The leaves 

 of this are not glaucous, 

 but deep green ; neither 

 is the point of attach- 

 ment white. West In- 

 dies. 



Sagus. — This is the Malayan name for " oread," 

 and is given hy them to some Palms that yield sago, 

 which is the soft inner part of the stems of these 

 plants. The trees which produce the finest sagos of 

 our shops are S. lavis and S. JRiimphii, sometimes 

 called Metroxylon. There are other Palms, however, 

 which yield sago, hut not of such good quality, nor 

 in such quantity. Naturally they grow in swamps, 

 and must he ahundantly supplied with water to 

 develop and support them in perfection. It re- 

 quires ahout three years to ripen the fruit, which 



are covered with large, 

 shining as if polished. 



S. filiare (Metroxylon) — a 

 somewhat slender - grow- 

 ing species ; the stem and 

 petioles are profusely 

 armed with long, s lender, 

 needle-like spinas. Indian 

 Archipelago. 



S. lsevis (Metroxvlon) — this 

 is the smooth Sago Paun, 

 and the kind which yields 

 the largest quantity. 

 Steins stout, smooth, 

 saving the old remnants 

 of the leaf-stalk, whica 

 often give it a rough 

 appearance ; twenty to 

 thirty feet high, or more ; 

 leaves broad, somewhat 

 erect, pinnate ; these re- 

 semble splendid dark 

 green feathers, and are 



hard, imbricating scales, 



usually as long as the 

 stem, so that a tree 

 twenty feet high would 

 have a leaf twenty feet 

 long ; specimens of the 

 leaves have been sent 

 home upwards of forty 

 feet long. Indian Archi- 

 pelago. 



S. Kumphii (Metroxylon) — 

 a dwarf er plant, with the 

 same habit and. appear- 

 ance as the preceding 

 species, saving that the 

 petioles are armed with 

 stout spines an inch long. 

 It bears a crown of beau- 

 tiful plume-like leaves, 

 which are somewhat 

 arched and spreading. 

 Indian Archipelago. 



Stevensonia. — This name was given to the only 

 species yet discovered, to commemorate the kindness 

 and warm interest taken by Governor Stevenson in 

 all scientific adventures and explorations. The 

 plant was sent from the Mauritius under the MS. 

 name of Stevensonia grandifolia, to that prince of 

 botanists, and thorough English gentleman, Sir 

 "William Hooker, then Director of the Royal 

 Gardens at Kew. There are an immense number of 

 small islands between the Mauritius and the Sey- 

 chelles, far too small to be shown upon any map, and 

 yet they nearly all have some plant peculiar to them. 

 To these islands Mr. Duncan, of the Botanic Gardens 

 in the Mauritius, directed his researches, ably backed 

 b}^ the then Governor of the Mauritius and its 

 dependencies, Stevenson, and the result was the 

 discovery of manv of the handsomest Palms we have 



in cultivation, besides numerous other plants found 

 to be new. A mishap, however, befell one of these 

 plants after its arrival in England, and it was 

 found on the Continent under the name of Astro- 

 caryiim anreopunctatnm, but as it was quite a new 

 genus it obtained in Germany the name of 'Phceni- 

 cophorium, or Stolen Palm, or Thief Palm. 



S. grandifolia — a magnifi- 

 cent stove Palm, but toj 

 much a lover of heat to 

 allow of its use for any 

 other decorative purposes. 

 Stem stout, and with the 

 sheathing petioles densely 

 armed with very long, 

 black, needle-Lke spines, 

 some four inches long ; 

 leaves entire, with a deeply 

 bilobed apex, much 

 plaited, six to ten feet in 

 length, the edsres regularly 

 split into acuminate seg- 

 ments, deep green, pro- 

 fusely spotted over its 

 entire surface with orange- 

 coloured spots ; the pe- 

 tioles are dull orange, and 



the young leaves when 

 unfolding are of a rich 

 coppery-orange, changing 

 with age to deep green. 

 It is without exception 

 the most majestic Palm 

 ever introduced to this 

 country. Sej-ehelle Is- 

 lands. 



S. grandifolia, var. viridi- 

 folia — this is a form which 

 has originated from im- 

 ported seeds ; it is desti- 

 tute of the orange-col- 

 oared spots on the leave*, 

 and the petioles also are 

 green ; in uther respects 

 the plauts are identical. 

 Seychelle Islands. 



Thrinax. — A genus of handsome small-growing, 

 fan-leaved Palms ; indeed, their name comes from the 

 shape of the leaves, and signifies a fan. The genus 

 is distinguished by its flowers having a six-parted 

 calyx, destitute of a corolla, stamens varying from 

 six to twelve, joined at the base, and a funnel-shaped 

 stigma. The various species are all handsome, and 

 sufficiently hardy to withstand cool treatment. 



T. arborea — stem slender ; 

 petioles supporting a large 

 fan -leaf, deeply divided 

 into narrow segments, up- 

 wards of two feet across. 

 West Indies. 



T. graminifoha — a slender- 

 growing and handsome 

 plant, with long and thin 

 petioles; leaves f an- 

 shaped, divided into nar- 

 row segments, bright 

 green above", with a glau- 

 cous tinge on under side. 



T. inultiflora — a superb 

 plant, attaining a height of 

 twenty feet ; stem slender ; 



petioles long and thin : 

 the fan-leaf some three 

 feet across, divided at the 

 margin into long pendu- 

 lous segments, bright 

 green above, the reverse 

 side silvery-white. Cen- 

 tral America. 

 T. radiata — stem swollen at 

 base ; petioles slender, 

 about two feet long, and 

 dull orange-yellow, en- 

 closed at the base in a 

 network of fibres ; leaves 

 nearly circular, upwards 

 of two feet across. "West 

 Indies. 



Verschaffeltia. — This genus is named in honour 

 of Ambrose Verschaffelt, a Belgian nurseryman, and 

 a great cultivator of Palms. It forms a stem quickly, 

 and rises above the ground upon an inverted cone of 

 roots in the manner of the Rasp Palms (Iriartea). 

 Magnificent stove plants, but rather too tender for 

 general purposes of decoration. Eor treatment see 

 Stevensonia. 



V. melanochcetes — stem 

 cylindrical, stout, and 

 clothed with long, slen- 

 der, black spines : leaves, 

 when young, entire, some 

 four feet long, plaited. 

 SeychelV Islmds. 



V. splendid a — this grand 



specie =5 has a slender stem 

 and, like the sheathing 

 petioles, it is denselv 

 armed with long, needle- 

 like, black spines, two to 

 six feet in length, plaited, 

 and deeply bifid at the 

 apex. Seychelle Islands. 



