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the fruit, but it tapers a little towards the base, which is acute or shortly caudi- 

 culate. The seed is oblong-elliptical, 1 1 mm. long and 6 mm. broad, rounded at 

 both ends, flattish or slightly concave on the raphal side, where two-thirds of its 

 surface is covered by the oblong areola formed by the vascular ramification of 

 tlie raphe ; the hylum is linear. On the more convex or antiraphal side I have 

 observed a small papillaeform point about its centre, where at times the endocarp 

 adheres to the testa of the seed; otherwise the seed remains entirely detached 

 from the internal wall of the endocarp. The albumen is homogeneous, and with- 

 out any intrusion of the integument. The embryo is slightly obliquely basilar. 

 (Figure 114). 



There is a rather good representation of this palm in " Descourtilz : Flore 

 medicale des Antilles" v. IV (1827) plate 265, which is not mentioned by Martius. 



The young flowering branchlets of 0. oleracea are, when still enveloped by 

 the spathe, covered by an abundant white cottony matter, which remains free 

 when the spadix expands, and is composed of a very curious kind of trichomes, 

 composed of inflated acuminate cells of the same nature as those existing in 0. 

 regia, but much more abundant, and with more elongate cells. 



Of 0. oleracea I have examined in the Berlin Herbarium complete specimens, 

 collected by Pere Duss in Guadaloupe (n. H73), where it is said to be abundant 

 at Basse-Terre. 



Pere Duss describes the trunk of 0. oleracea as 30-36 m. high, rarely more, 

 and measuring about 2 m. in circumference at its base, but it soon grows more 

 slender and remains cylindrical throughout. The leaflets are equidistant, all on 

 one plane, 3-3.5 cm. apart in the intermediate portion of the rachis ; are of a 

 rather herbaceous texture, lanceolate-ensiform, very long acuminate, shortly bifid 

 at the apex, with the point in prolongation of the upper margin subulate and 

 longer than the other; the intermediate leaflets are 70-75 cm, long and 5.5-5.8 

 cm. broad; those near the base are narrower and slightly shorter, the uppermost 

 are smaller and less acuminate. 



The inner spathe is thickly coriaceous, glabrous, of a reddish color inside, 

 brown externally, from 70 cm. to 1.24 m. in length in vigorous young specimens. 



The spadix is much branched, its peduncular part is 15-18 cm. long. The 

 primary branches are as much as 90-95 cm. in length, form several partial 

 panicles and are divided into several secondary and tertiary branchlets ; the 

 ultimate flowering branchlets are flexuose, 15-20 cm. long, carry ternate flowers 

 on their lower part, but higher up only germinate male flowers. 



Oreodoxa princeps Becc. sp. n. 

 A tree about 18 meters high ^Harris). Leaves apparently similar to those 

 of 0. regia. Rachis dotted by very minute rusty scales. Leaflets pointing differ- 

 ent ways; the two seen by me, belonging to the intermediate portion of the leaf, 

 are lanceolate-ensiform, gradually acuminate above, somewhat larger than the 

 largest of 0. regia seen by me, about 80 cm. long, 6.5 cm. broad about their middle; 

 have the mid-costa covered with chaffy scales a long way up from the base, but 

 naked above. Spadix ultra compound ; flowering branchlets more slender than in 

 O. regia, up to 40-45 cm. long, 1.5-2 mm. thick at the base, the lowest divided 



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