a 



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« 



eight inches in diameter, tapering up 

 to its height, which is about twelve 

 feet from the earth. Its internal her- 

 baceous ftamen is enwrapped by about 

 fifteen green, porous, vafcular hufks, 

 near three lines in thicknefs. Thefe, 

 when they arrive at the top, (which 

 feveral of them do not) diverge alter- 

 nately, and form tapering footftalks ; 

 and each of thefe becomes the middle 

 rib to the fucceeding leaf, which is 

 fmooth, and of a fea-green colour, near 

 five feet in length, two in breadth, and 

 of a long oval mape. Its fibres run in 

 a lateral direction, to the rib, and are 

 eafily feparated. This rib, on the un- 

 der fide, is protuberant and convex ; on 

 the upper it is concave, and its conca- 

 vity conveys the rain from the leaves 

 to the trunk, for its nourishment. Thefe 

 leaves are ufually about ten in number. 

 Eight months after the tree has been 



growing, 



